Revelations
by repmetsyrrah
Summary: When an accident forces Clark to reveal his identity to the world the Kents' lives will never be the same again. Future-fic.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Okay, here it is, the much asked for companion fic to _Limelight._ This is my first attempt at a longer fic (longer than 20 chapters) so I apologize if I epically screw it up :P Also, the talk about Kryptonian physiology and auras in the first chapter is something I think I heard somewhere in canon but if not I beg artistic license (and it's not just there for the hell of it either ;) ) Anyway, enough talk, onward!

**Chapter One: _Revelations_**

* * *

"Okay, Lois," Clark turned to her as they stood outside the large, grey building, "Are you _absolutely _sure you want to do this?"

"For the last time Clark," Lois replied rolling her eyes, "Yes. You're not having second thoughts are you? Because we've been over this, you said you were fine with it."

"I am fine with it." Clark answered.

"Are you sure, because you know I won't do this if you're not." Lois turned and looked up at him, "Clark, you can always say no."

"If you're happy with it, I'm happy. It's your body." Clark told her sincerely.

"It's _our_ family," she shot back at him, "and as much as I love each and every one of our children, I don't want any more. I've been thinking about doing this since I had Dean."

"Really?" Clark looked surprised and a bit hurt, "Why didn't you tell me then?"

Lois sighed. "I never _seriously_ thought about it until we had Lucy, of course we had Ella too soon after that for me to tell you then."

"Well, they are twins," Clark rationalized, earning himself a glare.

"_Anyway_," Lois continued grumpily, "If you'll remember correctly we started using protection after that. Unfortunately every little bit of you appears to be _super_," she complained, smiling when she saw Clark redden as he understood what she was talking about. "And don't make me call Dr. Klein to get him to explain the effects your damn Kryptonian aura has on me again. I barely feel fourty let alone almost sixty, and my body seems to agree, I could pop out another six before I go through menopause for all we know."

"I thought women liked it when people thought they were younger than they are." Clark's tone was light but Lois could hear the unspoken words behind it. They had never told anyone else- not even the kids or those in the know- but Clark's life expectancy was around a hundred and fifty and thanks to Kryptonian physiology and the way it effected humans Lois would probably live to be the same age.

"Most of the time we do," Lois agreed, pushing her fear of a lonely future back where it belonged- out of her mind, "but when I called I had to spend the first half an hour convincing the nurse I wasn't kidding when I said I still got my period." She hid a grin as Clark's cheek's reddened slightly at the last word, most people wouldn't have even noticed but Lois had spent the last two decades figuring out was to make him blush. "So," she continued, pretending not to notice, "it's taken us seven years since Chris was born but here we are," she waved her hand at the hospital entrance, "one little procedure and no more condoms for life."

"Lois!" Clark _really _blushed at the volume of her last statement which had caused a few passers-by to turn and stare.

"Oh, don't be such a farm boy, Smallville," she sighed, "you're a father of six, and I'm pretty sure everyone knows we didn't just find them in the cabbage patch."

"Let's just go in," Clark sighed, trying to keep his face from getting any redder.

Lois gave her name at the counter, smiled at the usual 'Say Hi to Superman for me' comments and took her seat with Clark. "When do you think we should tell the kids?" She asked, tapping her foot impatiently. "I mean, I'm almost certain no one's expecting any more siblings but we should still tell them sometime."

"I'm pretty sure Sophie already knows," Clark informed her.

Lois sighed. "And what Sophie knows, Jason knows. But they wouldn't tell the others would they?"

"Are you kidding?" Clark laughed. "Sophie would've at least wanted to tell Dean, Lucy and Ella but she'll do whatever Jason tells her to do and Jason would know we didn't want the others to know and I doubt Chris would have understood anyway."

Lois just sighed in response, causing Clark to raise an eyebrow. "I never wanted kids," she said, looking off into space, "and now I've got six. Six more than I ever intended to have and I can't help but love every one of them with every little bit of me."

"Lois?" Clark asked in confusion. "Are you having second thoughts? Because -"

"No," Lois interrupted him smiling, "In fact now I know for sure this is what I want. I love our family exactly as it is." Then she kissed him, causing a few people in the waiting room to look at them oddly. "I'm happy and I know this is the right thing to do," She told him pulling away, feeling that, for the first time since they had discussed this, she was speaking the complete truth.

Clark was about to reply but unfortunately something else caught his attention. He sighed, "Lois, I-"

"Go," she grinned, "I'll still be here when you get back."

"What if they take you in before I return?" he asked worriedly, listening to the sirens heading towards an apartment fire five blocks away.

"I'm a big girl." Lois rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. And maybe I'll get to have you waiting on me for a change."

"Fair enough." Clark grinned, pulling his phone out of his pocket and looking at it like he'd received an important message, it was a common trick he developed for when they were around other people. "I'll be back as soon as I can," He promised, kissing her on the cheek and heading for the door.

Ten minutes later Lois was discreetly monitoring the news when a nurse walked into the room and called, "Lois? Lois Kent?"

"That's me." Lois smiled and followed the nurse down the hall.

The whole procedure was remarkably short, only taking twenty minutes. She had opted for a rather recent, very simple procedure which was safe and effective immediately. It didn't even hurt, it was slightly embarrassing placing her feet in the stirrups again- something she thought she was through with after her check-ups with the twins but it was nothing she couldn't deal with.

"And, we're done," the doctor announced a short while later. "You can get dressed now," he informed Lois.

He didn't need to tell her twice, she hated the stupid hospital gown had made her put on, it was very unflattering. Not that anyone but the doctor was going to see her in it but still.

When she returned to the waiting room Clark was absent, the TV showed images of Superman still assisting with the apartment fire which was only a short distance away.

Lois frowned as the camera panned back for a wider shot, if she wasn't mistaken (and she was quite sure she wasn't) that was the apartment building she had written a story on last month. Supposedly it housed a large number convicted and suspected criminals and was heavily involved in gang activities. Locals had tried to petition the council to tear it down but the mayor had been suspiciously adamant it stayed up.

The reporter in Lois smelled a story, arson maybe? Or perhaps some drug-making gone wrong? Whatever it was she was almost sure she could at least get a quick page two story out of it which would help her get back into Perry's good graces after she had supposedly 'caused a scene' at his sixth retirement party two months ago.

Not that Lois would call 'accidently' spilling champagne on Linda King after she made some comments about Clark being a cover-up for Lois' real relationship with Superman 'causing a scene'. Nor did she call Perry staying away from the bullpen for two weeks before deciding he couldn't live without the excitement of the paper a 'retirement'. Even if he had promised it was for good this time.

She took a five minute cab ride to the building jotting down notes as she went. But when she arrived she saw she was clearly not the only reporter who'd come hoping for a scoop.

Superman left just as she arrived, the fire completely extinguished and all residents safely outside, and a moment later Clark came running up behind her, his hair was slightly messier than usual and when he leaned down to kiss him her hello she caught a faint whiff of smoke.

"What's going on?" she asked as she saw to firemen bringing out several long boxes from the building and giving them to the newly arrived police.

"They suspect it was some sort of illegal drug making experiment gone awry, they're taking those in for evidence," he explained.

"What's in them?" Lois asked, jotting it all down.

Clark shrugged, "Dunno, they're locked up tight and lined with lead. Which is suspicious enough in itself if you ask me." He shook his head, looking at some of the residents who looked none too happy about the police getting their strange boxes. "You're all done then?" Clark asked, changing the subject, "Did it go alright? It didn't hurt did it?"

Lois laughed at his worry, "Clark, it was fine, a tad embarrassing but fine. Although after five pregnancies I should probably be used to strange men looking at my-"

"Lois," Clark cut her off again, blushing.

She rolled her eyes. "Over twenty years of marriage and you still blush like a little boy learning about S-E-X for the first time." She laughed, making sure to spell the word out loud and clear. "I guess it's true what they say, you can take the boy out of the farm but you can't take the-"

"Everyone get down!" A loud voice yelled as at least twenty men and women who had previously been standing around doing nothing suddenly pulled out guns and pointed them towards the reporters and police.

A few people hit the pavement immediately but the rest were rather stunned, one of the policemen reached for his gun but the cocking of a shotgun made him reconsider. "Now we don't want to hurt anyone," a large, black haired man announced, walking towards the police. At least ten cameras form various news stations turned to follow him. "But," he continued, "I think you'll find that all of my associates-" he paused to indicate to the other men and women with the guns "- will be more than happy to do so should the need arise."

Lois was mentally keeping note of everything he was saying so she could write it up later but she was also keeping an eye on Clark too. His eyes were darting everywhere, trying to find a gap in the cameras or guns through which he could escape and return as Superman.

Apparently the gang, or whatever they were, had the same idea. "Now we're going to have to go quickly here," the black-haired man, who was clearly the leader, said walking towards the three cops, "we need to move fast if we're going to be safe before Big Blue arrives." His 'associates' understood and half of them spread out in a circle, keeping the crowd of reporters back while the others grabbed the boxes and starred loading them into another van.

"Can you get away?" Lois asked Clark when she realized he hadn't yet gone.

He shook his head. "No, there are too many cameras behind us, there's no blind spots and someone's bound to notice if Clark Kent pushes his way through a crowd, runs down an alley and suddenly Superman comes."

Lois snorted softly, still keeping her voice low while watching the armed men at work. "We've talked our way out of trickier situations than this," she reminded him.

As if the universe had heard her, at that moment several more black vans skidded up to the site and yet more armed gang members surrounded the area. By this time the TV cameras weren't the only ones filming, cell phones, blackberries even a small laptop with a web cam suddenly appeared in the hands of the bystanders, recording everything.

"Hurry up!" One of the new arrives called, "Superman isn't on the news so he could be here any second."

"Or he's already here and not likely to show up at all," Clark muttered so only Lois could hear.

She turned worriedly, "So what are we going to do?"

"We can't do anything," He replied quietly, "As much as Superman does he can't be everywhere all the time, and this is going to have to be one of those times."

"So we're just going to let them take those?" she whispered angrily, watching as the gang loaded the mysterious crates into the trucks.

"We have to," Clark replied calmly, "no one's in any physical danger and most of these reporters have been at gunpoint at least twice before. Until someone's in real danger we'll just sit it out, okay?"

Lois sighed, seeing his point. "I guess you're right, but what happens if they do decide to shoot someone, could you stand by and watch that happen?"

Clark's eyes darted to the fifty or so cameras that would catch his transformation should he choose to become 'super' then to the innocent bystanders who were standing by looking terrified. "I don't know," he admitted after a moment, "but that hasn't happened yet and I'm sure it won't."

Lois bit her lip as she watched the armed men take away the police men's guns and order their hands up, a dozen cameras capturing every move. She looked round at the excited faces of the reporters who knew they were getting a good story out of this to the frightened faces of the civilians, Clark was right though- it would be foolish to risk changing now.

Her attention was bought back suddenly to the police car and the two cops standing beside it, there appeared to be some sort of argument between two of the armed men.

"That's the bastard that arrested my brother," the taller of them yelled, pointing at the policeman, "he deserves it."

The other one replied too quietly for Lois to hear but she saw Clark's eyes widen beside her. "No," he whispered, his gaze flickering between the two armed men, one of whom was opening one of the mysterious crates and the policemen standing beside the car which was surrounded by civilians.

"Clark, what's going on?" Lois asked but if he answered her she didn't hear it over the sudden gasps and screams of the people around her as the tall man pulled something large and cylindrical from the box. "Oh my God," Lois breathed as she realised what she was seeing. He was holding a rocket launcher, an actual rocket launcher, loaded and ready to go straight from the box, Lois didn't even know things like that could happen outside of the movies. "Clark." She turned to him, not quite sure what she could say that he wouldn't have already figured out. He meet her eyes just as the man pulled the trigger.

They say hidsight is 20/20 and when she looked back on the moment Lois could see a million ways it could have been different and a million reasons why it wasn't. It seemed to happen in slow motion, the tall man fired the rocket launcher at a range it was never supposed to be fired, there was no time for anyone to do anything at all, except for one man.

She saw a blur out of the corner of her eye but rather then the usual blue and red it was brown. The expected explosion happened less than a second later but the expected fallout never came, instead what followed was a stunned silence as everyone slowly registered what they were seeing.

As the smoke cleared Clark Kent stood at the epicentre of the blast, uncurling himself from around the mangled remains of the rocket. His glasses had been blown off and his shirt was ripped from the collar all the way down to his belt revealing a very familiar blue and red insignia.

He turned to meet Lois eyes and suddenly the silence snapped and there was a wave of noise as the reporters surged forward towards him, all yelling at the top of their lungs, demanding their questions be answered. But he wasn't there, instead he was five hundred feet above the action, holding his wife close to him and listening to the startled cries below.

"Clark," Lois said quietly, "what have you done?"

* * *

**A/N:** The events in _Limelight_ take place directly after this chapter, so if you haven't read it yet and are liking this story now would be a good time to do so.

And remember, reviews are love!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Okay, here's the first chapter of reactions, this was originally mean to contain all six kids but it got way too long so I split it up. Seen as this story kinda just jumps right in to the aftermath there are a few things in this chapter that need expanding on which will all get their turn to be told. Okay, seriously before I spoil the whole thing or ramble too much here we go!

**Chapter Two: _Reactions: The Kids- Part I_**

* * *

**Jason Matthew White Kent, Marina Production Studios, New York **

Jason was starting to worry that his face might split from the size of the grin on his face but he couldn't help it. He was going to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved and he thought that was something he was allowed to smile about.

"Jase!" He turned around as the door to his dressing room burst open and his two co-hosts burst in.

"What did she say?" Kate asked, taking a seat next to him.

Tristan laughed. "Look at his face, of course she said yes. Shot, man," he said to Jason, holding up his hand for a high-five which Jason returned.

Kate made a sort of high-pitch squeal, similar to the sound Evelyn had made when Jason had showed her the ring, causing the boys to look at her strangely. "Oh my God," she cried, bouncing up to envelop him in a hug. "When's the wedding? Am I invited? How's Evie? Is she like totally stunned?"

"Calm down." Jason laughed as he extracted himself from her grip. "Of course you're both invited but we only just got engaged last night- we haven't thought as far as the wedding and stuff, just give us a chance to get used to the idea, okay?"

"Well, now that we've got that out of the way," Tristan began, flopping down on the couch in the corner of the room, "we should probably warn you that Davis is on the warpath again."

Jason sighed, the size of his smile decreasing ever so slightly. Harry Davis was a producer on the popular after-school kids TV show _BreakOut_ of which Jason was a host along with Kate and Tristan. It wasn't a career he'd ever seen himself in but he couldn't imagine working anywhere else.

However Jason's high opinions of the show weren't shared by Davis who was a grumpy old producer who'd been put on the show despite his protests and tried every way to make life as difficult as possible for the cast and crew. "What does he want now?" Jason asked, kicking Tristan's feet off his clean coffee table.

"He doesn't like the start, he wants to get rid of the Wall."

Jason stared at Tristan in disbelief, "Get rid of the Wall? Has he lost it or something? The kids love the Wall, the title doesn't really make sense without the Wall." Jason could hardly believe Davis would suggest something like this. The Wall was a fake brick wall that the hosts came smashing through at the start of the show- it had been there since the very beginning, hence the name _BreakOut_. When Jason had joined the show three years ago he did recall thinking it was a bit stupid but the kids loved it, the title really made a lot more sense with it and, although Jason was always professional about his acting, he had to admit smashing down a wall was great way to start work.

"All the kids or just your little brother?" Kate asked with a small grin.

"Hey, I'll have you know Chris has excellent taste," Jason defended his brother. "Don't tell me you think this is a good idea."

Kate shrugged. "Apparently he's got the stats that prove some kids do try and 'break out' of school by running into brick walls."

"What?" Jason asked, sharing a baffled look with Tristan, "That has got to be one of the _stupidest_ things I've ever heard."

"More stupid than the time Tristan tried to hit on your sister by claiming that Superman was his- what did you call him again, Tristan?" she asked, grinning, "your 'homeboy'?"

"Hey," Tristan protested as Jason and Kate laughed, "In my defense, I was drunk, she was hot and I had no idea her mother was Lois Lane."

"You'll keep your hands off all my sisters if you want to live," Jason warned, not telling him that it wasn't who his mother was that he should've been worried about. Needless to say, Clark had found the whole event rather amusing when Sophie told him later.

"Anyway, we need to get to rehearsal, c'mon," Kate said, getting up a gesturing for the boys to do the same. "Monday show- kids need this one to get them through the week."

Kate reached for the door but it opened before her hand reached it and Leo Trent stumbled in, looking flustered. Mr. Trent was the media rep. and the newest producer of _BreakOut_ and the cast's favorite by far- he had a genuine passion for the show and seemed to actually value their opinions. "Jason!" he yelled, making them all jump, "thank god you're here."

"Hey, Leo. What's going on?" Jason greeting him, confused by his sudden and urgent appearance.

Leo looked at Kate and Tristan before turning to shut the door firmly behind him leaving the four of them in the now, rather cramped, dressing room. "Take this," he ordered Jason, holding out a folder. "These are forms for leave in the case of a family emergency. You just took a week off."

"A week?" Tristan asked in shook as Jason took the forms, still frowning in confusion. "Why? Did something happen?" he looked from his producer to his friend in concern.

"Something, yeah, something happened," Leo agreed, "Jason you have to sign those and leave as soon as you can- before the other producers find out what's happening and come here."

"Why?" Jason asked, fear wrapping around his chest, "What happened to my family? Is it my Mom?"

"No, it's your Dad," Leo informed him, glancing at his watch then at the blank TV nervously.

"What about his Dad?" Kate asked when Jason failed to respond, choosing only to gape at the other man.

"Oh, haven't you heard?" Leo seemed surprised, "Clark Kent is apparently Superman and since Jason's his son, the reporters are already arriving outside."

Jason wasn't sure what was happening but it seemed to him like the world stopped moving right at that moment. "What?" he asked, only able to summon up a whisper as he stared at Leo in disbelief. The thought that Leo could be joking never even crossed his mind- Leo had never meet his Dad for one, as Clark or Superman, so what on Earth would make him say something like that unless he'd heard it somewhere else.

"Here." Leo turned on the TV, Tristan and Kate leaned forward for a better view but Jason couldn't move.

He focused his hearing and vision towards the front of the building when there were two vans for a local news station and a nation-wide one un-loading gear.

"C'mon, hurry, hurry," A woman yelled to a cameraman as she jumped from one of the vans. "We need to get this shot _now._" She pulled out a microphone from the seat and checked her hair it the window before taking up a position by the door.

"Jason, is it true?" Tristan asked, pulling his mind back into the dressing room.

He turned to the TV and saw the same woman from outside was now in the screen talking breathlessly. "I'm here outside Marina Production Studios in New York where the popular after-school, children's TV show '_BreakOut__'_is filmed. A short while ago it was revealed that one of the hosts, 26-year-old Jason Kent, is in fact the son of Clark Kent, also known as Superman."

And that was the first time Jason saw _the_ picture. The world would come to know it well in the next few months but right then it was almost impossible for Jason's brain to register what her was seeing. His father, Clark Kent, stood in the middle of a crowd with is glasses gone and his suit ripped open revealing the S shield.

"Oh my God," he gasped. "I have to go."

"Sign these," Leo told him again, holding out the forms, "They'll buy you a week before the other producers are going to want you back to boost ratings." Jason signed the forms and handed them back. "Good, now go see your family or your girlfriend or whatever."

"Actually she's his fiancée now," Tristan informed him with a grin, slapping Jason on the back, the ordinariness of the simple gesture seeming rather absurd at that moment but showing he still considered him a friend and making Jason feel a little better.

"Oh, good for you," Leo congratulated him, "I have to go tell the others," he said waving the forms, "Be gone by the time I get back," he ordered Jason.

"So it's true? You're like half alien?" Kate asked once he'd left.

"Ummm, you know there are other people I need to talk to about this first," Jason told her and Tristan, trying not to let her question bother him.

"So it _is _true?" Kate persisted, looking at him in a odd way which was making him uncomfortable.

"I really have to go," Jason told her, "See ya." He ran out the door, blurring into superspeed only as soon as he was around out of sight, not wanting to confirm anything until he knew if there was a way out of this.

"_Kate, don__'__t be like that.__"_He heard Tristan say as he tuned his hearing back the dressing room. _"__Even if that is true he__'__s still our friend, he__'__s still going to be Jason.__"_

"_No, he__'__s not. Now he__'__s the son of Superman.__"_

Jason stopped listening, not sure he wanted to hear more. He leapt into the air, rising too quickly for anyone to see him from the ground. As soon as he was above the clouds he stopped and pulled out his phone, pressing 1 on the speed dial.

"Hello, Evelyn Jones speaking," answered the voice on the end.

"Hey, Evie," Jason said, relaxing slightly. It still amazed him that one person could make him feel that way, just the sound of her voice made him feel like everything was going to be okay.

"Oh my God, have you seen the news?" she cried, "I was trying to call you but-"

"I saw," he interrupted her, "do you think it's real?"

There was a pause before Evelyn spoke again, slower this time as if she was choosing her words carefully. "Jason, have you seen the tape? It's pretty convincing, and even if it that picture was some huge prank, the evidence against your Dad is way too convincing. Didn't you tell me the half the reason his disguise worked was that no one thought to look in the first place?"

Jason couldn't think straight, Clark and always warned his kids how dangerous the secret could be if it got out and Jason knew better than most. He still had bad dreams about being locked in the pantry on Luthor's yacht as it slowly sank to the bottom of the ocean.

"Jase, are you still there?"

"Yeah," he replied, pressing his hand to his temple as he tried to figure out what to do next. "I need to call the others- this is all over the news but I'll try and contact them anyway."

"Okay," Evie agreed, "and then you should go find your parents, I saw your Mom there too, maybe they can tell you what's going on."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come home?" he asked, "the media could be coming any minute."

"I'm not at home," Evelyn assured him, "I'm at my sister's place, she lives on the twenty-third floor so even if they do find me they're not going to see much from down there."

"Are you sure?" Jason asked again, he hated the idea of leaving her.

"Yes, I'm sure. This sounds like a family thing anyway," she replied.

"Didn't you agree this morning to become part of my family?" Jason asked her softly.

"You know what I mean," he could hear his fiancée smile on the other end.

"I love you," he replied simply.

"I love you too, now go," she ordered him.

He went.

* * *

**Sophie Joanne Kent, Harvard Law School, ****Massachusetts**

"Flat white and a chai latte," Dani called to the counter as she entered the café.

"Dani," Sophie, her friend and roommate frowned as they sat down.

Dani rolled her eyes, "Sorry," she muttered, before turning back to the counter, "Please," she yelled at the server's back. "Anyway, where were we?"

Sophie sighed, knowing it was pointless to try and get Dani to act like a normal person. "I don't think I can go out on Monday, I've got a test the next day-"

"Yeah but that's not 'till five," Dani interrupted, 'C'mon, Soph- one night ain't going to kill you."

"Yeah, but-"

"And it'll be the perfect place to meet guys," Dani continued, so intent on convincing her friend to join her that she didn't even thank the man who delivered their drinks. Sophie sighed as she picked up her flat white and sipped it, letting Dani babble on to her heart's content. "- music and dancing and free drinks-"

"You mean there's going to be lots of drunk people there," Sophie interrupted Dani this time, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I doubt it'll be that bad, and besides it's not like you'd ever get drunk little miss goodie-two-shoes. I don't even think you can," she told her with a frown.

Sophie lifted her cup again to hide the smile on her face. She had gained a reputation for her unusually high tolerance for drink after she had needed some extra cash for a jacket she wanted and challenged Dani's then-boyfriend to a drinking contest. She had only intended to beat him but then there had been more money and more drinks and things had gotten away from her.

On the upside it meant everyone was too hung-over the next morning to notice that she wasn't. Of course afterwards she had been challenged everywhere she went on campus and she was getting a bit tired of it. Dani and Natalie, her roommates, had asked incessantly for her secret, she had told them the truth- that she got it from her Dad. The fact that said Dad was also Superman and hence invulnerable to almost everything- including alcohol didn't hurt either.

"So anyway," Sophie started, cutting through whatever Dani had been going on about at that moment, "I was thinking we should start planning Natalie's twenty-first."

"Aw, man," Dani complained, "Do I have to be involved? I hate keeping secrets."

"Only because you can't do it," Sophie retorted, rolling her eyes. "Now, look, Nat doesn't want a party at all, so we're just going to invite a few people and they'll jump up, yell 'surprise' then just hang like any other day and go out for drinks afterwards. That way it's a surprise party but not with the whole partying. You know what I mean?"

"No," Dani replied honestly. "why do we even have to throw her a party, she's only been our roommate for a couple of weeks."

"Six months, actually," Sophie corrected her, with another eye roll. "Look, just help me will you? I can organize food, drinks and people and all I'll need you to do is keep her away for the day."

"Do I ha-"

"Yes," Sophie snapped at her before she could finish her question. "look, Nat's really nice when you get to know her, I don't know why you won't just give her a chance."

"No, I like her well enough," Dani explained, "I just don't see why she can't organize her own party like the rest of us."

"Dani, you haven't thrown your own party since primary school," Sophie reminded her. "I- hang on," she muttered as her phone buzzed.

_**One New Message From: Jason**_ flashed up, Sophie grinned, she'd spoken to her brother just this morning as she tried to help him through his nerves of proposing and told him about their parent's plans at the hospital.

She flipped open her phone, hoping the text had something to do with a future sister-in-law but instead all she saw was a rather cryptic message: _Turn on your TV now and meet me in Met._

"What is it? Did she say yes?" Dani asked in a slightly disappointed tone, she'd always had a small crush on Sophie's older brother and had been less than happy when he had told his sister he was planning to marry his girlfriend.

"Umm, I don't know," Sophie said, still frowning. She turned to look at the television in the corner of the café, the sound was turned off but she felt her stomach flip as she saw Jason's and then her own face appear on it followed by her brother Dean, her sisters, Lucy and Ella and finally Chris before switching to a picture of her Dad next to a picture of Superman.

"No way," she breathed, her heart hammering in her chest as she tried to understand what was going on.

"What are you looking at?" Dani asked, turning to follow her gaze but the image had now changed to the news reporter sitting at his desk talking to the camera. "Why is it turned on to the news at this time of day?" she asked absentmindedly. "Anyway, I guess I could try and… Soph, are you listening?"

"I need to go back to the apartment, now." Sophie stood up suddenly and left her half-full drink on the table as she dashed outside.

"Wait, what?" She heard Dani exclaim as she tried to get up and follow her. "Sophie, what's going on? Wait!"

Sophie sidestepped around a group of student as she tried to get back to her apartment as fast as possible without resorting to her powers. _It__'__s probably some sort of stupid prank or a misunderstanding or maybe Dad just got a really good interview with Superman and they put both their pictures up at the same time so that they could save time and get onto real news._

The last explanation actually sounded a little plausible which made her feel slightly better but not by much, sure her Dad could've got a good interview with Superman, he had written about himself in the past but even her Mom didn't do the super-stories much anymore so that people would stop thinking they were an item. And even if it was just her Dad why had there been photos of her up there? She was desperate to turn on a TV and find out what was really going on.

"Sophie Kent, what is going on?" Dani yelled, running to catch up with her. "What the hell, Soph? You didn't even pay and- where are we going?" she asked as Sophie broke into a run again.

Their apartment was just off campus and it only took her two minutes to arrive, going slightly faster than normal. Ignoring her friend she sped up the stairs and burst into the room, she paused slightly, looking around the small living room in surprise. "We really need to clean up after ourselves," she muttered, wondering why it looked like a tornado had been through it. She shrugged, Dani had probably just lost something again.

She switched on the TV and picked up the remote to change it to a news channel but was only slightly surprised to find she didn't need to. "-hours ago these images were captured on over thirty different sources and if they are to be believed then the reporter Clark Kent is, in reality, a disguise for Superman to allow-"

Sophie changed the channel, this had to be some sort of sick joke. The next channel was CNN, a panel of three people sat in front of a large screen displaying a picture of her father without his glasses and with his plain brown suit ripped down the front revealing the familiar red insignia. "- lying. I mean, Clark Kent was raised in Kansas by these farmers, maybe he's not an alien at all-" one man was saying.

"Of course he is," the woman to his left interrupted like she actually had any idea what she was talking about. "Mr. Kent was raised in Smallville but there are adoption records for him, clearly he was only lying about how old he was when he came to Earth."

"When did you ever ask him?" Sophie yelled at the TV, finally snapping out of her daze. She had no idea what was going to happen now that the world apparently knew the secret but she wasn't an idiot, she knew her friends were now in danger just from knowing her.

And speaking of friends, "Oh my God, was there and explosion in here?" Dani asked as she stumbled in, panting and out of breath. "What the hell just happened, we were in the café and then suddenly you had to- hey is that your Dad?" she asked as a picture of Clark accepting his Pulitzer Prize four years ago appeared on the screen.

"Clearly having Superman for a Dad isn't that bad," one of the panel members said in a voice-over, "I mean, his son practically has his own TV show and his daughter's at Harvard-"

"Wait, are they talking about you?" Dani asked, "Why are you on CNN? Seriously, Soph! What the hell…" she trailed off as the video played yet again. "Oh my God."

"But should she be?" one of the commentators asked as her father's glasses were blown off again. "I mean, clearly she'll have some advantage over her fellow students, that's not even taking into account if those Kryptonian-human half-breeds have the same rights as-"

"Your Dad's Superman?" Dani asked, her eyes as wide as dinner plates as she stared from Sophie to the TV and back again. "Glasses, seriously? That's insane, hey can you fly?"

"What?" Sophie looked at Dani like she'd just grown another head. "Of course I can. Are you more surprised?"

"Oh, please every superhero has a secret identity, I'm not surprised about that, although I am surprised it's your Dad. Hey, did you know?"

"What? Of course I knew, he's my Dad. But no one else was supposed to- we'll not the whole world anyway," Sophie explained, muting the TV. So this had been what Jason had wanted her to see, she wondered where he'd been when he found out- and how Evelyn had taken the news. Maybe the reason she hadn't received a message about that was that she'd been so angry at him for keeping it a secret. Their parents had always been adamant about no one knowing who their father was- Jason hadn't spoken to them for a week after they'd told him he wasn't allowed to tell his girlfriend.

"Oh, my God, I can't believe he wore glasses to hide, I mean when you see them both like that," Dani said, indicating to the pictures of Clark and Superman side-by-side on the screen, "it's _so_ obvious."

Sophie switched off the TV, ignoring Dani's protests. "Sorry," she muttered, "but I can't watch that right now."

"It's cool." Dani shrugged, "I guess you guys kept it quiet 'cause all the criminals your Dad put in prison might come looking for you," she said, surprising Sophie with her calm rational statement. "But, seriously, why is you apartment to messy, did we get robbed?"

"Nothing's missing," Sophie replied, glad to be focusing on something else for a while. She checked with her X-ray vision and found the other rooms untouched, all except for her bedroom. "Someone's been in my room," she exclaimed, getting up to look.

"Wow, is anything missing?" Dani asked, following her into her trashed bedroom. Sophie took a closer look, narrowing her eyes in concentration as she sorted through the room. "Hey, are you using X-ray vision?" Dani realized, "That is so cool, my best friend has X-ray vision, I cannot believe this."

"I can't tell if anything's missing," Sophie said, shaking her head. "But look, my brother told me to meet him in Metropolis so I think I should go see what's going on and see if we can sort this out."

"How are you going to get to… oh," Dani realized, "you can fly, right."

"Hey, look, the media might come looking so maybe you should go stay at…" Sophie frowned, "is it Matt?"

"No, I dumped him, I'm going out with Phil now," Dani told her.

Sophie rolled her eyes, even with her memory she had trouble keeping track of who her roommate was dating, it seemed like she had a new one every week. "Okay, just go stay there."

"Wait, why would the media want to talk to me, I'm Superman's kid's friend, isn't that one too removed?" Dani asked, reminding Sophie that not all kids grew up in the bullpen of a major metropolitan newspaper.

"Just do it, please?"

"Fine," Dani agreed, "but on one condition, you fly me to Paris for New Years. I can't believe all the cheap travel I've been missing out on."

Sophie rolled her eyes yet again, if she remained friends with Dani she swore one day they'd fall out completely. "Deal," she agreed, ignoring the startled gasp from behind her as she leapt out the window and up into the air.

It was time to find out what the hell was going on.

* * *

**Dean Jonathan Kent, Holiday Inn Campground, Australia**

Wandering around outside in a strange new place filled with strange people at four in the morning probably wasn't the best thing to do when one was not entirely sober. Which is why Dean Kent was keeping a very close eye on his friends as they tried to walk in straight lines down the paths.

The group, which included Dean, his two friends, Will, Kyle and Georgia and Kyle's girlfriend, Jackie had been backpacking around Australia for almost two months now and it had become a tradition to have a few celebratory drinks and go exploring whenever they reached a new camping ground.

Unfortunately, due to an upside-down map, they had arrived at their current one shortly after midnight and Dean's suggestion of waiting until the morning had been scorned at for being soft and wimpy, so Dean, as the only sober one thanks to his uniquely high tolerance for alcohol had taken it upon himself to play caregiver to his four friends. After all, what was safer thanbeing with the son of Superman? He'd already discreetly saved them from harm more than a few times during the trip, using his unique abilities. He was slightly worried Kyle might be suspecting something but he doubted he'd ever guess the truth.

"Look, it's a kangaroo!" Jackie squealed excitedly, interrupting his train of thought.

"Actually, sweetheart," Kyle corrected her, being the least drunk aside from Dean, "that's a _tree_."

"Well it could be a kangaroo!" Jackie protested stubbornly, stamping her foot.

"Of course it could be, dear," Kyle agreed, patting her on the back while shooting Dean an exasperated look that seemed to say, _why is she here again?_

_She__'__s your girlfriend,_ Dean reminded him with an eye roll. He'd been against bringing Jackie from the start. The trip was originally only supposed to be the four of them, they'd decided to see the world before going to University. Dean had already seen most of it, having learnt to fly earlier than expected at fourteen but he didn't feel ready for another couple of years of study and traveling the world the normal way didn't seem too bad.

"I think we should go back, now," Kyle suggested a few minutes later when Jackie tried to climb a tree in an attempt to find a kangaroo.

"Agreed," Dean seconded quickly. Will and Georgia didn't seem to have any protests but Jackie complained loudly the whole way the she hadn't seen a kangaroo yet. "How much did she have?" he asked Kyle quietly when they returned to their site, watching as Will and Georgia climbed into their tents while Jackie lay down outside hers and tried to get undressed without getting up.

"A bit too much I think," Kyle said in an apologetic tone, well aware of the protests the other members of the group had voice when he'd asked if his girlfriend could come. "I'll go find some water or something. In fact those two will probably want to drink some as well."

"I'll get it," Dean offered, knowing it would be much safer for him than his friend, "just, get her inside or something," he suggested as Jackie started pulling off her pants.

The communal kitchen wasn't too far from their site and it was open all night so Dean quickly collected their bottles and headed towards it. He wasn't surprised to find it occupied by a few other campers, he nodded politely as he entered and started filling the bottles from the specially filtered tap. It was quite a relief after having to boil all the drinking water first at all the other campsites.

"Just arrive?" a woman making a sandwich on the bench next to him asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied simply, not a fan of small talk but not wanting to be rude.

"Oh, you American?" she asked, Dean nodded politely. "Don't get many Americans in this site," the woman continued, "generally just the Kiwis here. All the Americans go up the road to the fancy one with flushing toilets."

"We just stopped at the first one we came too," Dean admitted, wishing the tap would fill the bottles faster.

"Oh, of course. I probably shouldn't have told you that, my husband owns this place- I just came into this kitchen 'cause he's watching the rugby and I can't stand it." She shuddered and then laughed loudly, drawing a few stares.

Dean just smiled as the last bottle filled to the top. "That's nice," he said rather lamely, "I gotta get back now."

"Well, I'll be seeing you then," the woman called, "I'm Livia Greg by the way," she said as a way of goodbye.

"Er, Dean Kent," Dean replied, not wanting to be rude but slowly edging towards the door.

One of the men on the sofa turned around at that and laughed. Dean looked at him in confusion, wondering what he'd said. "Sorry," the man apologized, getting up and stumbling over to him. "but I can see that, you're really tall and from America, like Superman."

Dean inwardly winced, he'd been six foot by the time he was sixteen and the size of his father by the time he'd left school. It wasn't the first time someone had compared him to his father's alter-ego because of his size but half of them would then try and pick fights with him to show they could beat him. Dean was a pacifist by nature and he hated it when people tried to attack him just to prove they were tough.

"He's like Superman, see," the man turned to Livia, "Kent, from America, and look how big he is."

"Er, I don't want any trouble," Dean tried, gently pushing the man away.

"Oh, don't you worry about him," Livia assured Dean, "he's had a few too many tonight, not thinking right."

_Really?_ Dean wanted to ask sarcastically but instead he just smiled, the man wasn't quite finished however. "No, no, no, you don't get it, doesn't anyone listen to the radio? It just happened, they found Superman in America or something and-"

"Okay, that's nice," Dean interrupted the man's increasingly incoherent speech, "but I gotta go."

"Okay," the man grinned, "bye, Superman!" he called as Dean left.

"That was weird," Dean muttered to himself as he headed back towards the campsite. His Dad must've been on the news lately or something, he hoped it wasn't anything serious.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so 'reactions' isn't quite right- more like the first time they heard about it, whether they realised it or not ;). Next chapter- the other kids find out and things start getting a little more insane.

Reviews are love!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **It's that time of year again! The Superman Movieverse Fanfiction awards are accepting nominations! There's a link on my profile page to the LJ site which contain rules and categories. So if you think an author or story deserves to be recognized by the fandom go and nominate!

**Chapter Three: **_**Reactions: The Kids Part- II **_

* * *

**Lucy Martha Kent, Vanderworth Academy, Metropolis**

"Alright, stop, stop!" the conductor yelled, tapping his baton against the music stand as the entire orchestra groaned. "Someone in the strings is lagging behind," he declared.

"Not again," Lucy Kent rested her saxophone on the ground and turned to talk to her friend Sasha in the flute row behind her. "I bet it's James," she whispered, "I hear his bow goes limp a lot if you catch my drift."

"Lucy," Sasha gasped before collapsing into giggles, "that is _so_ wrong, and he's a senior."

"I don't know from personal experience, idiot," she laughed, "I overheard Jenny in the girls bathroom complaining to Tess."

The girl next to Sasha snorted and Lucy realized it was Patricia Fall, the daughter of a Senator who'd recently been exposed as having an affair with his secretary while stealing government money for extravagant gifts for his mistress, the fact that Lucy's parents had written the article hadn't' put the two girls on good terms.

"Shut up, Kent," Patricia snapped, "everyone knows you're all talk. I bet you couldn't get a guy even if you wanted one, not with your father tripping over everywhere, he'd probably cripple the poor kid on your first date," she spat at her, referencing the incident at the last school dance at which her parents had chaperoned, Clark had tripped into the table and knocked the punch bowl all over the principal. It was a low and unimaginative insult but Lucy still glared at the girl.

"At least on dates, my father only goes out with my Mom," Lucy shot back, regretting the even lower insult almost immediately as the girl's face twisted in rage and shame. Sure Lucy's Dad might occasionally act clumsy but he did it to protect his family from the enemies of his alter-ego, she doubted Patricia's father had anywhere near such noble reasons.

Sasha giggled at the look of Patricia's face which made Lucy feel a little guiltier until she pushed it away, what did she care what some snotty Senator's daughter thought, she got enough hassle from her classmates anyway, it was nice to get one back.

Vanderworth Academy was one of the best private schools on New Troy Island and most of the children had rich, well known or famous parents. Lucy and her sister Ella sometimes got looked down upon for being the children of mere journalists. It didn't help that said parents had at one time or another reported upon the other children's parents in a less than favorable light.

Lucy occasionally felt like she didn't belong either, her brother Jason and sister Sophie had both attended. Sophie on a scholarship and Jason with the help of her Uncle Richard who still wished to be a part of his life. Dean hadn't got in but nor did he even want to, school wasn't really his thing and he had practically begged his parents not to waste their money.

Lucy and Ella hadn't expected to be able to attend the prestigious Academy, they knew their parents weren't exactly poor but to send two children at the same time was beyond their means- until Ella had qualified for the same scholarship as Sophie. That just left Lucy's fees which her parents were happy to pay to give their daughter the best although Lucy sometimes wondered why they bothered, she wasn't stupid but she'd certainly never been at the top of the class. Music and Drama were really her only two good classes.

"Okay, from the top," the conductor's voice called, snapping Lucy out of her self-pitying musings. "This time I want- oh, Principal Reed, to what do we owe the honor?"

The whole orchestra turned as one to see the tiny, confident woman who ran the school striding towards them although a the moment she looked anything but confident, in fact she looked almost flustered.

"I would like to borrow Miss Kent for the moment if I may, Mr. Linn."

The words sent a flurry of whispers through the students and Lucy distinctly heard someone say, _"I told you she did it."_ Lucy had no idea what she was supposed to have done but she didn't really blame them, it wouldn't be the first time she'd been called into the principal's office for breaking the rules. Although this time she was sure she was innocent.

"Mrs. Reed we are in the middle of rehearsal for a very important-"

"I know, but this is highly important, Lucy please follow me. The rest of you please clear the stage and remain in the auditorium." She turned and waited by the door, Lucy hurried to put away her sax and grab her bag, her nerves not helped by the entire orchestra staring at her and speculating what she'd done this time.

"Come quickly please," Mrs. Reed said as Lucy hurried out the door, her tone implying it wasn't a request.

She dumped her saxophone case and hurried after the principal. "Is something wrong?" she asked, surprised at how fast the woman was going.

"I shall explain everything once we retrieve your sister."

"Ella?" Lucy felt her heart jump into her throat, Ella never participated in her misdemeanors, if they were bringing her then it was something to do with their family. "Is something wrong? Is someone hurt?"

_Please don't let it be Dean, _she thought, she'd been worrying about her brother ever since he'd announced his around the world trip with his friends. He came back every weekend to see them and dump some laundry but Australia was a dangerous place, she'd heard of people dying over there all sorts of ways from crocodiles to spider bites. Not that those would hurt her brother but she still found horrible ideas of how he could be hurt coming into her head.

"No one is hurt," Mrs Reed assured her, slowing so that she could turn to look her in the eye, "I can tell you that now, you're family is fine." Her mouth twitched slightly and then she seemed to correct herself, "Well, no one's hurt."

Ella must have seen them coming because she was running across the field towards them before Lucy could spot her group of friends on the field.

"_All students please report to the auditorium in a calm and orderly manner for an emergency assembly."_

Lucy felt her heart sped up as she x-rayed the far wall to watch her classmates file towards the auditorium, the general mood was annoyed rather than worried or confused. She couldn't blame them, it wasn't the first emergency assembly the school had had. Some had been serious, like when they'd had a bomb threat last year but some had been just plain stupid, including the memorable one last month called after someone had dinged the vice-principal's car.

"Miss Kent are you okay?" Mrs. Reed's voice brought her back to the present and she looked over to see her sister holding her head with a pained look on her face.

"I'm fine," Ella muttered. Lucy realized Ella must have been using her powers to see what was going on a wondered why she hadn't thought of that.

She narrowed her eyes and the far wall of the office disappeared and the van on the side of the road seemed to draw closer.

"The reason I called you in here is because I thought it would be best you heard it here rather than outside from the media and your friends," the principal began, apparently not noticing Lucy's distraction.

Lucy felt her eyes widen as she saw cameras and reporter stepping out of the vans, that must be what the principal meant by the media. But why were they there? She tried to focus her hearing but it had proved to be a temperamental ability lately and it took a moment for it to reach across the field.

"About an hour ago there was a fire in Hob's Bay," the principal was saying back in the office, "Your parents were both there and… well-" she stopped but Lucy didn't notice, she was too intent on listening to the reporters outside the school.

"_-Acadamy where Lucy and Ellen Kent, the twin daughters of Clark Kent attend. Now, you'll remember that Clark Kent has just recently been revealed to merely be a cover or 'secret identity' if you will for Superman and already questions are being asked about what sort of advantages this might be giving his children, one daughter at Harvard and the other two attending a very exclusive private school. Now-"_

Lucy stopped listening, not really sure what to make of it- she supposed she aught to be shocked or something but all she felt was mild surprise that they seemed to have gotten quite a few facts wrong, for example who on Earth was Ellen Kent? She returned her attention to the principal who was explaining the story to Ella.

"-I don't know the full story but your father evidently threw himself in front of a bomb of some sort and now everyone knows he's really Superman," mrs Reed was explaining.

"What?" Ella gasped, looking stunned.

"Oh, did you not know?" Mrs. Reed asked, her eyes widening.

"Of course we knew, he's our father," Lucy glared at the woman, surprised that she'd even think that. "He's our father," she repeated, to drive the point home, "why wouldn't we know if he had a secret identity?"

"Lucy." Her sister was looking at her with the same stunned look.

"Eleanor," Lucy replied, rolling her eyes at her sister's slowness of grasping the situation, "it doesn't matter anymore, those vans outside were news crews, Principal Reed is telling the truth. Dad mucked up or something and now everyone knows who he is."

"Everyone?" She could barely hear the question but she just nodded.

"A very convincing video has been seen several times on the news channels," Mrs. Reed told them, "I called you in here to spare you finding out some other way, and I've sent the other students into the auditorium for their own safety."

"You're not going to tell them are you?" Ella seemed rather terrified by the prospect and Lucy frowned, wondering what was going through her sister's mind.

"They're going to find out somehow." Mrs. Reed said, stating the obvious in Lucy's opinion

_She's right_, Lucy realized, everyone was going to know about their father and in turn them and who they were and what they could do. "You know what this means?" she asked, finally seeing the good side as her heart thudded excitedly in her chest. "We're going to be _famous._"

* * *

**Eleanor Lois Kent, Vanderworth Academy, Metropolis**

"And what did you get for number fourteen? ...Ella? _Ella_, what did you get for number fourteen?"

"It's not that hard, Kim," Ella sighed, knowing she'd just keep on pestering her 'till she replied, "I gave you the answers to the first ten, can't you figure this one out yourself?"

"But this one's harder," her best friend moaned.

Ella saw her other friends rolling their eyes as she relented and handed Kim her math book. She knew it was probably bad to allow Kim to take credit for all her hard work but the two girls had been friends since primary school and Ella knew Kim was smart enough to figure it out herself, she was just a bit lazy.

Kim grinned as she began copying the homework which was due next period. Ella lay back down on the field and closed her eyes as she listened to the conversation of her other friends going on around her. That was another reason she didn't want to refuse Kim and have her pestering her all lunch, the sun was bright today and she just wanted to lie back and enjoy it.

"Do you have sunscreen on? You'll get burnt," a voice asked, louder than the others, clearly directed at her.

Ella propped herself up on an elbow and raised an eyebrow at the boy who'd spoken. "no," she answered simply.

James, Kim's boyfriend, laughed. "I know you're new here," he said to Rick, who'd just joined their class a week ago, "but don't you know the amazing Eleanor Kent is immune to all those pesky mortal inflictions including sunburns?"

Ella kicked James lightly and frowned. "I don't really burn," she explained with a shrug.

"But you're so pale," Rick commented, "in fact you look kinda like a girl in my music class, Lucy or someone."

That comment sent the whole group into fits of laugher and Rick turned a rather interesting shade of red as he looked around in confusion. Finally it was Kim who took pity on him. "Lucy and Ella are sisters," she told him, "twins actually, although they'll deny it if you ask them."

"Wow, you're a twin?" Rick asked in a familiar tone. Ella inwardly sighed, she was always glad her and Lucy weren't identical because then she only got these sorts of questions when someone deliberately mentioned it. "What's it like?" Rick asked, continuing with the usual, "Who's older? Can you read each other's minds?"

The rest of the group had heard most of her responses and returned to talking amongst themselves but Ella just shrugged. "I have five brothers and sisters," she explained, "Lucy's just the same age, in fact I'm closer to my older brother Dean than I am to Lucy, and no we can't read each other's minds," she said with a slight shudder, she doubted she wanted to know what went on in her sister's mind.

Rick looked like he wanted to ask more but the look on Ella's face must have warned him against it. She usually politely answered the 'twin' questions when they came up but it didn't mean she liked them. Although, she wasn't as bad as some, there were a pair of identical twins in the senior class and Ella knew one of them once got detention for threatening the younger students for staring at them during lunch. Then again that one was a bit odd anyway.

"Hey, Ella, your Dad's Clark right?" Kim asked a few minutes later as she frowned at her cell phone.

"Mr. Linn will kill you if he sees that," one of the other kids warned. Ella didn't know his name, it was a beautiful day and the groups sitting on the field all seemed to have merged into one.

"He's not looking over here," Kim said, checking that her phone was obscured by her skirt anyway. "But my sister just text to ask if I'd heard about Clark Kent yet."

"What?" Ella sat up suddenly, her heart rate accelerating as she looked at her friend, "What about him? Is he hurt or something?" It was unlikely but possible.

"Ella, calm down." Kim held up her hand as she tapped out a message on her phone, "I'm just texting her back now, and besides, if it was really bad or something you'd know by now."

"But-"

"Just breath, El," Kim tried again, "I'm sure it's nothing, in all the time I've known you no one in your family has even been sick. Stop thinking of the worst possible thing."

Ella sighed, Kim was right, her mind did tend to jump to the worst possible conclusions. But it wasn't really her fault, her Uncle Perry always told her bad news sold better than good so it was only natural that when someone found something so interesting they felt compelled to text their little sister in the middle of the day it would be bad news.

"Oh, man," James muttered a moment later, "Ella, don't freak out or anything but my cousin just text me like the exact same thing."

"What?" Ella snatched his phone from his hand, ignoring his protests. On the screen was a simple message: _Hve u seen dis Clark Kent thng? Insne right?_

Ella tried to think of a rational explanation but all she could think of was her Dad had somehow been injured, or worse, and it had been in a way that made the news.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" someone asked, Ella looked up and was surprised to see the speaker sitting almost halfway across the field, she frowned, when she was distracted her powers trended to get away from her, she brought her hearing back under control but still followed the speaker's pointed finger to the edge of the field where a large black van had just pulled up on the other side of the school gates, joining three others that were already there.

Ella was about to draw her friends' attention to the strange gathering when Kim placed her had on her shoulder. "Ella don't panic but you sister and Principal Reed are coming over here."

Ella stood up so quickly that she might've taken off had she been able to fly. Kim was right, Lucy and Principal Linn were walking towards their group, Lucy looked worried and confused and the Principal looked grim. Ella didn't even wait for anyone to say anything, she grabbed her bag and ran straight over to them. "What's going on? Is Dad hurt? Kim got a text and-"

"He's not hurt," he sister interrupted her, "but Mrs. Reed won't tell me what's going on."

"This is not the place," the small, yet stern woman said, "you must come to my office, I will explain everything there."

"Explain it now," Ella demanded, not really caring about respecting authority at the moment, she was too worried about her family.

"Something's happened," the principal admitted, walking briskly back across the field, Ella and Lucy in tow. "It does have to do with your… father," she paused before the last word, her mouth clenching oddly as she spoke it. Lucy and Ella shared a confused look- confirming they'd both seen the strange twitch.

They walked off the field and into the main office. Mrs. Reed nodded to the receptionist as they passed and she returned the gesture. The sisters followed the principal into her office but the reason for the nod soon became evident as the PA system crackled to life.

"_All students please report to the auditorium in a calm and orderly manner for an emergency assembly."_

Ella heard Lucy's heart sped up at the message and suddenly the chatter and groaning of confused students annoyed they were missing half their lunch hour filled her ears as they began to head towards the auditorium. She gasped and pressed her hand to her temple, trying to get it under control.

"Miss Kent are you okay?" Mrs. Reed asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Ella muttered once her hearing was under control, she quickly glanced at her sister who had a very strange expression on her face as she stared at the far wall.

"The reason I called you in here is because I thought it would be best you heard it here rather than outside from the media and your friends," the principal began, apparently not noticing Lucy's distraction.

"About an hour ago there was a fire in Hob's Bay," she said with a slight frown and the general air of snobbery and disapproval someone from the upper class possessed when talking about the area more commonly called the 'Suicide Slums'. "Your parent's were both there and… well-" she sniffed and shifted in her chair as though not quite sure how to continue.

"Were they hurt?" Ella asked urgently, wishing the woman would just get on with it.

"No," the woman assured them, "but your father-" her mouth twitched again before she took a breath and continued in a rushed way, "-I don't know the full story but your father evidently threw himself in front of a bomb of some sort and now everyone knows he's really Superman."

"_What?_" Ella felt all the air rush out of her lungs as though she'd been punched. Her mind didn't seem to be able to grasp the words the principal had just said.

"Oh, did you not know?" Mrs. Reed asked, her eyes widening.

"Of course we knew, he's our father," Lucy said from beside her. Ella turned and was shocked to see that her sister didn't look surprised at all. "He's our father," she repeated, "why wouldn't we know if he had a secret identity?" She sounded more offended by the principal's words than surprised.

"_Lucy_," Ella hissed, glaring at her sister, horrified that she'd just blatantly told their secret. If there was one thing all the Kents had learnt growing up it was that they were never to tell anyone who their father really was.

"_Eleanor_," Lucy replied in a similar but mocking tone, "it doesn't matter anymore, those vans outside were news crews, Principal Reed is telling the truth. Dad mucked up or something and now everyone knows who he is."

"Everyone?" Ella asked, her voice barely rising above a whisper.

"A very convincing video has been seen several times on the news channels," Mrs. Reed started explaining again, "I called you in here to spare you finding out some other way, and I've sent the other students into the auditorium for their own safety."

"You're not going to tell them are you?" Ella gripped the arms of her chair so hard she felt one of them crack. She shuddered to think what her friends might see her as if they knew she was only half-human.

"They're going to find out somehow." Mrs Reed told her and Ella remembered the texts her friends had been getting. Half the school probably already knew by now anyway.

"You know what this means?" Lucy asked.

_Yeah,_ Ella replied silently, sinking into her chair, _everyone's going to know I'm half-alien._

* * *

**Christopher Brandon Kent, Eastview Primary School, Metropolis**

The class was supposed to be drawing the most interesting thing they'd seen yesterday but with the minute hand only a short tick from lunch time not many of the seven year olds in Miss Dally's class were focusing on the assignment.

"I wanna be on the robber's side this time!" Chris Kent protested to his friends as they made plans for lunch.

"But you're so good as a cop," his friend, and team leader of the cops, Jane, protested.

"But being a robber is more fun." He frowned, he probably shouldn't love being on the criminal's team so much but it wasn't his fault it was a lot more fun.

"Can we have a Superman this time?" Tommy, who sat across the table, asked.

"No- it's more fun with just cops and robbers," Jane said, reminding Chris a little of his Mom as the girl tried to sound stern and in charge.

But Lois had had a whole lifetime to perfect her commands and Jane was soon on the defense. "What's the 'Superman' person do anyway?" LaTanya, the fourth kid at table 4 asked.

"Well, you know how the cops have to hold the robbers for three seconds until they're caught," Jane jumped in before Chris or Tommy could start. "The person who gets to be Superman only has to tag them before they go to jail."

"That sounds boring," LaTanya frowned, sticking her tongue out as she traced the outside of the flowers she was drawing.

"Yeah, but then the other team gets a Luthor who can make the Superman go to jail," Tommy explained, rolling his eyes as though it was obvious. "Chris, you could be Luthor on the robber's team, 'cause you're good at chasing people."

"No!" Chris protested, slightly louder than he'd meant. "I don't want to be Luthor," he said, quieter this time. He'd never meet the real Lex Luthor but he'd heard about him from his brothers and sisters about how much the bad man hated their Dad and he didn't want anything to do with even the idea of such a mean person. "Can't we just play normal cops and robbers?" he asked.

"Fine," Tommy sighed and Chris knew from his tone that he wouldn't be getting half of Tommy's fruit roll that lunch hour.

The children settled into silence as they scribbled away at their drawings, Chris was once again drawing a picture of his Dad saving someone. This time Superman was hovering next to a building and holding two smiling kids as flames leapt from the windows.

The bell shrilled a moment later causing a rush to put away all their pencils and drawings in the desks. "Last one to the playground's a rotten egg!" LaTanya yelled as the kids rushed to the door almost bowling over the principal as he walked in.

Luckily, Mr. Randall was a good-natured man who just laughed at the rush of children and waved off the occasional 'Sorry sir!'s with a laugh. "Go on, it's a lovely day outside, excuse me for getting in _your_ way."

Chris knew the principal could be strict when necessary but today didn't seem to be one of those days. But when Chris tried to leave he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Christopher but you'll have to come with me," he said, his mood switching from jovial to serious in an instant.

"Me?" Chris asked, trying to make his eyes wide and innocent like he did with his Dad, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, it's nothing you've done," Mr. Randall assured him. "but your-" he stopped then frowned slightly, "-I mean someone is here to pick you up, you're going home."

"In the middle of the day?" Chris asked in confusion, "but I'm not sick." the only other time he'd gone home in the middle of the day had been when his Mom had made him a chicken sandwich and he'd thrown up in math.

"No, you're not," he agreed, "but you are going home, grab your things and come to my office, your father is waiting- I mean, I think…" Mr. Randall frowned again then shook his head slightly, "I mean _he_ will explain."

Chris decided not to argue and went to retrieve his bag, he didn't mind going home early. The principal's behavior confused him slightly, it reminded him of the careful way his parents spoke when they were fighting and didn't want him to know, maybe something bad had happened and Mr. Randall didn't want him to know about it.

He didn't have much time to think on it though, the principal's office was just down the hall from his class and Mr. Randall was walking fast, Chris had to jog to catch up to him.

"Here we go," he muttered as he opened the door to his office, letting Chris go in ahead of him.

Chris took one step in and stopped dead, his father was standing there in his full Superman suit looking rather odd. Almost nervous, the young boy realized, as he recognized the look from the last time his Mom had decided to try cooking.

"Superman?" he asked, confused as to why he was bring called into the office if his Dad had come as Superman, and why Mr. Randall had said 'your father'. He turned to the principal. "He's not my Dad," he said quickly, doing what his parents had always said and denying any relation to the Man of Steel.

"It's alright, Chris," Clark said from behind him, "he knows."

Chris looked from the principal to his father and back again. "How?" he asked finally.

His Dad looked uncomfortable again and Mr. Randall wasn't looking at him or Clark. "I think I'll explain on the way," Clark said, stepping forward to pick his son up in the usual way he held him while flying. "Thank you," he said to the principal and before he had time to reply or Chris had time to ask anymore questions the world blurred around them, turning brighter as they went outside then darkening again before resolving itself into an unfamiliar room with three people in it, two Chris recognized as his sisters, Lucy and Ella.

"Dad!" Lucy yelled at the same time Ella cried, "Superman!"

"Oh, give it a rest, Ella," Lucy snapped rather rudely, turning to her sister, "pretending it didn't happen won't make it go away."

"What happened?" Chris asked. "Does she know too?" he asked, looking at the third person in the room, a short woman sitting on the other side of a desk.

No one answered him however, the woman was staring at his Dad with an open mouth and wide eyes, Lucy and Ella were glaring at each other and his Dad felt really tense. "Lucy, Ella, we need to go, we'll figure this out," he said the last part as if he needed to convince himself as well as the kids.

"Good," Lucy muttered, grabbing her bag and standing up. Ella didn't say anything but gathered her things while the woman just kept staring.

"Thank you, Mrs. Reed," his Dad nodded to the woman before he picked up the girls and the world blurred again. Chris barely had time to wonder what all the rushing around was about before the world re-aligned itself once more into their apartment.

"I've got them," his Dad announced to the living room, which Chris was surprised to see contained not only his Mom but also his older siblings, Jason and Sophie. "The media were already setting up camp outside both schools but they didn't see me or the kids," he continued. "Is everyone here?"

"Can someone tell me _exactly_ what's going on?" Ella asked and Chris agreed, he wanted to know what all the rushing was for and why two teachers seemed to know the family secret as well.

"Wait a minute," Lucy interrupted Lois as she opened her mouth to reply, "Where's Dean?"

* * *

**A/N: **One more chap of reactions- I won't tell whose though- and then we're off into the main story!

Reviews are love.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **As I was writing this I thought I should clear up something- in the history of this canon Clark went to the Arctic and built his fortress shortly after his father died as in STM but he only stayed there in seclusion for a few months before going to Metropolis. He still learnt all the stuff but not closed away for twelve years like it shows in the movie- it's not a huge thing in the fic, in fact it hardly impacts at all but I just wanted to clear it up before someone does get confused.

**Chapter Four: _Reactions: The Friends and Exs_**

* * *

**Richard William White, Tokyo, Japan**

The rush of Tokyo was very different to the rush of Metropolis but in the fifteen years he'd lived there, Richard White had only twice missed the Big Apricot. The first time had been the second day at his then-new workplace when he'd realized just how different the language and culture were and the second had been shortly after the birth of his son, Eric, when he'd remembered the first time he'd become a father, even if that time it wasn't in blood.

His musings were interrupted by the buzzing of his cell phone and he had to shuffle around slightly as he tried to get it out of his pocket while keeping his feet and not annoying the many other passengers who were crushed into the train in.

He hadn't expected to have to fight for standing room at 3am in the morning but he supposed if he'd only just left work it was possible that the same applied to everyone else.

The caller ID read _Tomoko_ and he frowned, wondering why his wife was calling at this hour. "Hello, you're awake late," he said by way of a greeting, the language that had baffled him a decade and a half ago rolling off his tongue as easy as breathing.

"Eric had a nightmare and wanted to know why you weren't here, I thought hearing your voice might help him sleep."

"Alright, hand him over," Richard sighed, he hated it when his son had nightmares, sometimes they were so bad it made him upset for weeks. Eric never explained them to anyone but his therapist who assured the worried parent he would outgrow them eventually.

One thing Eric always had to do after them was talk to his father, Richard had an idea that maybe Eric had abandonment issues but he'd never asked, worried he could upset him. "Dad?" the small voice of the ten year old came over the phone.

"Hey, kid, heard you had a bad dream." He spoke softly and a little slower than usual, switching back to English after a long day at work sometimes made his brain a bit sluggish.

"Yeah," Eric replied in the same language, "Are you coming home soon?"

"I'll be there in about half an hour, there were some problems at work and I had to stay and sort them out," he explained briefly, not wanting to bore the boy with the inner workings of running a news station.

"Good," Eric said, "I want to stay up until you get here."

"You have school tomorrow," Richard reminded him.

"I wanna see you," Eric said stubbornly, sounding a lot like his mother and making Richard smile.

"Okay, but try and get some rest before I arrive so you don't fall asleep at school tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Eric agreed.

"Good, now hand me back to your mother."

"When do you think you'll get back?" Tomoko asked as soon as she was back.

"Oh, I'm only about ten minutes away," Richard assured her, "the train's rather crowded for this time but I'll definitely be there within twenty minutes."

"Okay, see you then."

Richard flipped the phone closed and shoved it back in his pocket just as the train pulled into his stop. He muttered his apologies as he squeezed through the crowd, fighting to get off before the automated doors closed. He only just made it, yanking his briefcase out of danger in the nick of time.

The quietness of the station, although far more appropriate for the time than the crowded train, was rather sudden and disorienting, leaving him with a slight ringing in his ears as he hurried up the stairs, eager to get home.

He'd just exited through the barriers onto the street as his cell phone rang again. _Caller Unknown_ flashed on the screen and he frowned as he flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hello, Richard White?" a voice asked in English with a distinctly American accent.

"Yes," Richard replied, switching to the same language, "may I ask who I'm talking-"

"Mr. White, it's Joanne Green from CNN here, I was wondering if you had any comment to make about Clark Kent- on the record of course."

"Um…" the questions, as well as the origin and identity of the caller shocked him so much he literally stopped mid-step. "Pardon?" he asked, trying to understand what was going on. "I'm afraid I'm not quite sure-"

"You were engaged to Lois Lane for two years."

Richard wasn't sure weather that was a question or not but he answered anyway. "Yes, but that was a long time ago. I'm sorry, has something happened to Clark?" he asked, his mind catching up and filling with worry about his friend. He couldn't remember the last time they'd actually spoken but despite them being in love with the same woman he and Clark had managed to forge a tentative friendship before he'd left for Japan. And if something had happened to Clark, Richard knew Jason would be devastated and he still cared about his son-turned-nephew.

"And is it true that you were Jason Kent's father for the first five years of his life? How do you feel about Mr. Kent taking that away from you?"

"What?" He asked, anger starting to make itself known in his chest. "Look, is something going one here?" Richard asked, "I don't' know why you're calling me in Japan where it is in fact three in the morning but Clark Kent is a good man and-"

"Were you also aware he was Superman?" Ms Green interrupted again.

"I'm sorry?" Richard said, laughing. He turned around on the spot, looking up and down the street, trying to see if he was actually having this conversation. "You think Clark Kent is Superman? Have you _meet _him?" he asked, recalling the clumsy geek who tripped over everything in his path.

"So you were not aware of this?"

"Where did you say you were from again? Is this some sort of prank?" Richard asked, looking around the empty street again and wondering if he should pinch himself.

"Mr. White, how do you feel about-"

Richard hung up and stared at the cell phone for a few moments wondering what had just happened. He didn't have long however as it soon started to buzz again.

"Hello?" he asked, flipping it open as the screen displayed another _Unknown Number_.

Another American voice answered. "Hello Mr. White this is Greg Hollings from the _Metro Times, _I'm wondering if you could answer a few questions-"

"What the hell is going on here!" Richard asked angrily. "You're the second person to-"

"What was you relationship with Lois Lane and her husband Clark Kent?" the man interrupted him. "And were you aware that he was also Superman?"

Richard hung up immediately and turned off his phone. He turned suddenly and took of running down the street, desperate to get home and find out what was going on. It had to be some sort of prank, there was no way Clark Kent and Superman were the same person. He would have known, besides, Superman didn't even wear a mask- how could the man have a secret identity?

"Mr. White?" The night receptionist looked surprised as he burst through the door, probably wondering why a grown man was running around like he was being chased by the dogs of hell themselves.

Richard ignored her and ran straight to the muted TV behind her, turning it up and switching it to CNN, recalling the claim of the first caller to be from there. The images that appeared on screen actually made him pinch himself to check he wasn't dreaming.

"Mr. White?" the receptionist asked in concern, "Are you okay?"

"He's Superman…" Richard could hardly believe his own words but the evidence was right there on the screen in front of him. "She left me for Superman," he said, hoping the receptionist didn't speak English.

"Oh, it's Superman!" the receptionist exclaimed, "oh, look, he looks exactly like that other man," she pointed out as pictures of Clark and Superman appeared side-by-side.

"She left me for Superman," Richard repeated. "Jason is Superman's son, and she never told me."

His shock was slowly dissipating only be rapidly replaced by a new emotion. Anger.

* * *

**Lana Rachel Lang Ross, Smallville High, Smallville**

The bell to signal the end of lunch shrilled through the halls of the small school. Out her window, Lana could see the students slowly start to gather their things and move back inside. On the far side of the field she spied her eldest son, Clark, as he laughed and joked with his friends.

It seemed like just yesterday she, Pete and the other Clark were doing the same thing. Of course back then she had no idea she'd eventually marry Pete, her and Clark had seemed destined to be an item from the start until Clark's father had died. Confused by their friend's sudden disappearance shortly after Lana and Pete had grown closer and eventually it had been impossible to deny how they felt.

When Clark had returned only a year later, now living in Metropolis, to find his two childhood friends planning their wedding he'd been genuinely happy for them and even served as the best man. Although Clark's reaction disappointed several of the Smallville residents who's been hoping for some drama in the otherwise quiet town, Lana and Pete had been so touched by his blessing that when their first child, a dark-haired, blue-eyed boy had been born there'd hardly been any discussion on his name.

"Mrs. Ross?" a tall blonde girl rushed into the room, looking hurried and out of breath.

"Kelly?" Lana looked down at her timetable on the desk, "I don't have you until next period, do I?"

"No, ma'am," Kelly shook her head, "but I was just in the staff room delivering a message for Mr. Link when I saw the TV and-" she leaned against a desk, gasping for breath, "-and you have to come quick. I was talking to Clark Ross and he said you'd been good friend's with the journalist guy Clark Kent so I think you should see this."

"See what?" Lana asked, following Kelly out the door and towards the staff room over the other side of the school. "Has something happened to Clark? He's not hurt is he?"

"Hey, Mom, what's going on?" Lana turned to see her son, the young Clark, running towards her, "Some of the kids were saying something weird was going on with Uncle Clark and it's all over the news or something."

"He's not hurt is he?" Lana asked again.

"He's not hurt," Kelly assured them, "but you have to see this to believe it."

When the reached the staff room, Lana was surprised to see that the TV had been dragged out and was now in the hall, surrounded by a curious crowd of teachers and students that was growing by the second.

Lana managed to make her way to the front and felt her jaw drop as she heard the reporter speaking over the video playing on the screen.

"_- shocking revelation that the mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent is actually Superman. Reports and videos have been pouring in form those on the scene. Verification is turning into a mere formality given the hundreds of eye witnesses."_

"Superman grew up here?" one of the students behind her asked. "That's so cool!"

"He can't have grown up here you idiot," someone else replied, "he's from Krypton."

"He was adopted." Lana heard the voice of her son speaking just behind her. "So he was probably born there or something."

"Alright, everyone to class!" the principal yelled, finally turning off the TV, "this is no excuse for you to stop learning, off you go!"

No one looked much like they wanted to leave and most of the staff looked to shocked to be competent enough to teach a class right now. Lana herself wasn't surprised that Clark was Superman- she'd grown up with him and known exactly who Metropolis' red-caped hero was the moment he'd appeared.

The fact that the whole world now seemed to know the same thing worried her though. Clark never liked the spotlight, he used to complain to his friends that he'd give anything to be able to do the work he did and still remain in the background, unaccredited.

"Can you believe _Superman _used to go to school here?" one of the other teachers asked, Lana was surprised they didn't look more shocked about the fact that Superman had a secret identity in the first place. But then again, she reasoned, they didn't know Superman as well as Metropolis.

"I think that's awesome," one of the other staff members replied, "I used to know Mrs. Kent , you'd really believe she could raise a son like Superman, nicest lady you'd ever meet."

"Hey, Lana, didn't you used to go out with him?"

"No way you dated Superman?" One of the student that was still loitering in the hall asked. "Hey, Vikki, Mrs. Ross dated Superman," he called, running off to apparently spread the word.

"Great," Lana rolled her eyes. "Now I'm the woman who used to date Superman."

"The novelty will wear off soon enough," the principal assured her, "now don't you all have classes to teach."

What was left of the crowd slowly started to dissolve leaving Lana to wonder why she'd never noticed how naive the small town could be.

* * *

**James Bartholomew Olsen, The Daily Planet, Metropolis**

"Chief, I thought you'd retired!" The shout came from James Olsen, award winning photographer for the _Daily Planet_, and caused the whole bullpen to look up in amusement as the recently 'retired' Perry White limped out of the elevator.

"Of course I did, Olsen," the man replied, tapping his cane on the back of his chair, "This is purely a social visit just to see how things are getting on without me."

"You're bored, aren't you?" Jimmy asked, unable to keep the mirth out of his voice.

"It's driving me crazy," he admitted, sitting down on the chair next to Jimmy. The owner of the chair had just been returning from the kitchen but turned around and found something else to do once she saw who it was. "I know it's been a while since I was on the beat, with this stupid thing stopping me." He jabbed his cane at his leg, referring to a gunshot wound he'd acquired almost fifteen years ago. It had left him with a permanent limp although he hadn't had the need for a cane until recently.

"Well, Lois probably would've done worse if you hadn't been injured," Jimmy reminded him.

"Hey, her kids were fine weren't they? Great Cesar's ghost! We're going to have this conversation until I'm in my grave aren't we?" he asked and Jimmy laughed.

Everyone knew Perry considered the Kent kids his own grandchildren and the fact that he'd taken a bullet protecting Sophie and Dean when they were younger was only more proof. But it still got bought up more than once a week in the bullpen, more often than not as a cautionary tale to the interns, especially the younger men once Lucy and Ella reached their teens. Only the older ones could get away with mentioning it within the Chief's hearing though.

"Hey, Chief," Gil greeted him as he walked past the desk, "back already? It's only been a week or so since the last retirement, hasn't it?"

"We haven't even found a replacement yet," Polly called out from her spot in lifestyle.

"Excellent." Perry grinned, "I would have hated to have to fire someone."

Jimmy rolled his eyes, "You know to do that you'd actually still have to work here and-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Olsen?"

Jimmy turned to see a nervous looking intern holding a pile of letters. "What's up?" he asked, smiling and trying to put the boy at ease.

"Er, the Pulitzer people called again, they want to-"

"Tell them I'll get back to them," Jimmy interrupted. "Anything important in there?"

"Er, well, you agent wants to organize another book signing at the-"

"Another one?" Jimmy sighed. He was almost beginning to regret letting Clark talk him into the book thing. After his series on the 'Real Heroes of Metropolis' had won him his first Pulitzer Clark had pushed his friend into compiling them into a book. It contained photos of firemen, police and ambulances doing their jobs, notably missing the man in the bright red cape- although few knew that he was to one who'd inspired it after his complaints to his best friend that Superman was hardly a hero because he never really risked his life everyday like those brave men and women.

Of course, Jimmy disagreed, in his opinion marrying Lois Lane was probably the bravest thing Superman had ever done.

"Mr. Olsen?" the intern asked again, snapping Jimmy out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, sure, book signing- I'll call her back too. Anything else?"

"Your wife also called-"

"See, that's what I meant by important," Jimmy told him, sitting up, "you should have opened with that. Is she still on?"

"Line one," the intern said, "and your mail-"

"Leave it on the desk," Jimmy said, "and thanks." He smiled again and was pleased to see the intern relaxing a bit. He turned back, "Chief, I'm going to-" but Perry had already disappeared, probably back to his office to call the higher-ups and inform them he was back- Jimmy doubted they'd even formally ended his employment.

"Hey, James here," he said, picking up the phone.

"You need to have a talk with your daughter about what is appropriate clothing for school- you should have seen what she wanted to wear today," his wife, Sarah, barely stopped for breath as she continued to inform him of the misdeeds of their twelve year old. "And her math teacher sent us another note, did you know she handed in her last assignment two days late, James you really need to talk to her!"

"Okay, okay, clam down." Jimmy sighed and massaged his temples. Their daughter, Alice, was a month from turning thirteen yet she seemed to have started her teenage rebellion early. "We'll talk to her this afternoon about her clothes and school-work, we'll see if we can come to a compromise. I think she's just pushing to see how far she can go and we need to set boundaries."

There was a rush of static on the other end as Sarah sighed, "Do you think I should have put this exhibit off for a few more months, maybe she's feeling neglected. You know I can still put it off, I'll just call-"

"No, no, no," Jimmy interrupted her. "You can't put it off now, tonight's opening night! And I know for a fact Alice is really looking forward to it," he told her. He could hear sounds in the background of people talking, the echoes telling him they were in a large room. "Are you at the gallery now?"

"Yes, I just wanted to make sure everything's perfect."

Jimmy smiled. "It will be, don't worry. Lois and Clark called this morning, they can both make it with the twins and Chris as well."

"Oh, great, more people who's opinion I actually care about," Sarah moaned on the other end.

"Honey, you'll be fine," Jimmy told her, "just relax, you're a fantastic artist- the gallery wouldn't be showing your work if it weren't true."

"You're right I am good."

"And modest," Jimmy laughed. "And don't stress about Alice either, she's a kid, are you telling me you never rebelled against your parents."

"You're right," Sarah repeated, "okay, I gotta go now, just…" she trailed off nervously.

"You'll be fine, nothing's going to happen," Jimmy assured her, "I love you."

"Love you, too," Sarah replied before hanging up, no doubt to go triple-check everything.

It was only when he hung up that Jimmy noticed the bullpen had gone weirdly quiet. And the few people still making noise were shushed by those nearby as everyone stood staring at the TV.

Jimmy couldn't make out the image on the screen between the people but he heard a few startled shouts and then the whispering started.

"_There's no way, that's gotta be fake-"_

"_They don't even look the same!"_

"_I wonder if Lois knows, explains why she gets all the interviews-"_

"_I wonder if the kids are his, he's an alien and she's human-"_

The whispering and muttering was growing louder by the second. Jimmy still wasn't sure what was going on until he stood on his chair and finally got a good look at one of the TV screens. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed, just a bit louder than he intended.

On the screen he saw his best friend's secret identity blown to pieces by a crazed lunatic with a rocket launcher at least three times from three different viewpoints until the scene really truly sunk in.

"Holy shit," he repeated, quieter this time. Before anyone else could rip their eyes away from the screen he jumped off his chair and pushed through the dazed crowd towards the Editor in Chief's office.

"Chief," he cried, bursting in without bothering to knock. "Have you seen-"

"Clark Kent blowing his long-kept secret to high hell in a few seconds, yes I saw," Perry waved at the TV screen where a shell-shocked reporter was staring at the camera with her jaw hanging open in a very unprofessional way.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Jimmy asked, trying to remember to keep breathing. "Wait- you know?" The simple revelation stopped him dead in his tracks. Clark had informed him of his double life when he asked Jimmy to serve as his best man but he was almost certain Perry had never been let in on the secret.

"Yes, I know, but don't tell them, they don't know I know. Not that it matters now," Perry muttered, waving at the screen.

"What are we going to do though?" Jimmy asked as he looked out into the bullpen where all hell appeared to have broken loose.

Some people looked angry, some looked confused and others looked like they expected Clark to jump out of the closet and yell 'gotcha!' any second now. Jimmy opened the glass door of Perry's office just a crack and listened for a moment.

"There's no way that's real," Polly was telling one of the other lifestyle girls, "I mean have you _seen _Clark Kent?"

"That son of a bitch was probably laughing his head off the whole time!" Gil Truman was shouting angrily. "A pair of glasses! Bet he thought it was a great laugh, having us on like that!"

Jimmy let the door swing shut as he turned back to the Chief. "What are we going to do?" he asked again.

Perry pulled out a pad and pen and shoved them across the table towards Jimmy. "We're reporters, Olsen," he snapped, "what do you think we're going to do? We're going to report on it."

* * *

Reviews are love!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **And we're back to the family again! Hope you like it!

**Chapter Five: **_**Day One**_

* * *

The Kent family was closer than most families with adult children living away from home. Clark saw to that, having been raised an only child and losing his father early he'd always tried to keep his family from becoming strangers to each other.

From before even Jason could properly remember, every Sunday night was family dinner night. Even after Jason, and then Sophie and Dean moved out they'd always made a special effort to get the whole family together at least once a week, and it did help that travel time and plane tickets weren't really an issue.

However, while the mood at the family dinners was often light and joking, filled with constant chatter as the kids caught up with each other and talked about their week, Clark couldn't remember the house ever having been so quiet when more than three of the kids were home.

"Oh, wow," Sophie said from where she lay on the couch. She'd repeated the statement every minute or so since she'd arrived and for the last five, since Lois had almost demolished the TV again, they had been the only words spoken in the apartment.

Lois was in the bedroom, speaking urgently on her cell phone to Perry but Clark wasn't listening to the conversation. He'd told himself it was to protect her privacy but really he just didn't want to know what was being said.

Jason was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, tossing his cell phone from hand to hand, it was turned off of course, all their phones were. They'd had to disconnect their landline as well because it wouldn't stop ringing. Lucy and Chris were sitting eerily still at the table and Ella was getting up and changing seats every three seconds without speaking a word to anyone.

Clark was trying not to listen to the sounds of the city but he was too distracted to properly cut out the sounds of the apartments around them. Several neighbors thought the whole thing was a hoax, at least two were on the phone talking to news stations and trying to get money and the Taylor family, who lived right across the hall and knew the Kents quite well were having a heated debate about whether or not they should come visit.

The heavy silence in the apartment was almost becoming unbearable when Lucy finally broke the silence. "CNN just said they'd give Mrs. Jones five grand if she went on their channel and told them about the time she baby sat me and Ella."

"Mr. Taylor's disconnected his phone because they got too many calls," Sophie replied, sitting up.

"Those people two floor below want to call the police because the roads are blocked with too many reporters," Jason told them, emerging from the kitchen and sitting down next to his sister on the couch.

"So that's why no one was talking," Lucy asked with a laugh, "We were all eavesdropping on the building?"

"I've been watching the TV in the Taylor's house as well," Sophie said, "Do you think Mom will mind if we turn ours back on?"

"She's still talking to Uncle Perry," Lucy told her with a familiar frown on her face as she stared through the walls to the master bedroom. "Turn it back on, I wanna see what they're saying."

"I doubt it'll be anything new," Jason said, idly flipping his cell phone open and closed.

Sophie picked up the remote and was about to switch on the TV when Ella interrupted. "I don't want to see it," she said, getting up from the chair in front on the TV and almost running down the hall into her room.

"Can we watch it now Ella's gone?" Chris asked, looking at Clark.

The other three turned to look at him as well and it took Clark a moment to realize they wanted a reply. "Oh." He shrugged, "sure, go ahead."

"Awesome." Lucy grinned as she bounded over and snatched the remote from Sophie and switched on the TV. Chris joined them on the sofa but Jason didn't seem interested.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, crossing the room to stand with Clark.

"I'm fine," he lied, turning away from the screen which was once again showing pictures of his six children for the entire world to see.

"Dad, you're not fine," Jason told him bluntly, pulling him away from the others into the small room just off the living room.

The room had been used for many things over the years, currently it was Lucy and Ella's study, Chris's play room and at the very moment, Jason's counseling room. "Jase, I'm fine," Clark tried again but Jason wasn't buying it.

"Dad, the one thing you always told me when I figured it out was that this secret is dangerous. You've made enemies over the years and now that they know you have a family they have far more ways to hurt you than kryptonite. Keeping this secret has always been a top priority for our whole family and especially you."

Clark was silent for a moment before he closed his eyes and sighed. "You're right," he admitted, "and that's exactly why I _have_ to fine right now, because you lot just became target number one for anyone with a score to settle with Superman-"

"Dad, that's not what I meant."

Clark frowned. "What did you mean?"

"I mean, I saw that tape and you did what you had to do. Look, if people do come after us we can handle it as well as you can. What I'm saying is: don't go beating yourself up about it, it's not your fault."

"But-"

"Dad, _listen_," Jason insisted, "Me, Soph and Dean have all your abilities and half your weaknesses, the twins are almost there, they can pretty much do everything except fly and Chris will get all that in a few years but for now, if anyone tries anything, he has five siblings to look after us and a parent no one in their right mind would dare cross. And you of course," he added with a grin, trying to lighten Clark mood.

It worked slightly, Clark felt the corners of his mouth lift. It was true though, he could only imagine what Lois would do if someone tried to hurt one of her children. Although the 'if' was half the problem because- "Unless we figure this out, it's not if it's _when_," Clark told him.

"That's why I'm saying we can take care of ourselves," Jason sighed in frustration, "I know there's absolutely nothing I can say that will make you stop worrying about us, but you're our father and that's normal. But now I'm worried that you're going to be too hard on yourself about this."

"And why shouldn't I be?" Clark yelled, finally snapping. "Why shouldn't I be blaming myself for tearing apart your lives and putting you all in danger? The reason I kept this secret was so that I could have some semblance of a normal life and to give you kids the same!" His voice was rising in volume and the voices from the living room had gone quite but Jason made no attempt to stop him as he continued.

"You have no idea what this is going to mean for you kids, do you? First people might think it's great, they'll come up to you in the streets and you won't get a moments peace. The press will follow you everywhere and they'll think you're great for a while. But just wait a few days, maybe even weeks, but it'll happen, people will get afraid, they won't trust you because of this, because of _me_. Superman was an alien and he acted like that so people accepted him but what about now? They'll call you half-breeds, aliens and monsters, how do you think you're going to feel about me then? This is my fault, Jason. And I will be taking responsibility whether you want me to or not!"

Jason was silent for a while, he didn't look surprised or hurt be Clark's outburst, if anything he looked almost relieved that Clark had finally expressed his feelings over what had happened.

Which had probably been his intention the whole time, Clark realized with a sigh. "Are you happy now?" he asked, sitting down and resting his head in his hands, not wanting to look at his oldest son after he'd shouted at him. Clark could count on one hand the number of times he'd raised his voice at his children, he hardly ever needed too- they were good kids and if they did do something wrong it was usually Lois that would do the shouting.

His anger was fast disappearing only to be replaced with shame for yelling at his son when he was only trying to help. "I'm-"

"Don't apologize," Jason said before he could get the word out. "But don't shut us out either. You've barely spoken since you got the twins and Chris from school. I think Chris thought he'd done something wrong when you would tell him where Dean was."

Clark looked up in surprise. "I didn't hear him asking," he said, feeling even worse.

Before Jason could reply, Sophie opened the door and walked in. "Ever heard of knocking?" Jason asked her.

She ignored his question, instead asking a far more pressing one of her own, "Seriously, we're getting worried out here- has _anyone_ heard from Dean?"

Clark stood up, his heart rate quickening as his mind went through all the things that could've prevented Dean from joining them, especially now that the world was aware of just exactly who his father was.

"Calm down, Dad, Dean's in Australia- they love you down there after your help with those wildfires two years ago," Sophie told him as they went back into the living room, making Clark wonder how much his kids really could see of his true feelings.

"I can't get through to him." Lois had evidently finished with Perry and was now standing in the living room glaring at her cell phone. "The press won't stop calling and I can't even turn it off."

"Take the battery out," Lucy suggested, "that's what I had to do."

In the background Clark could see the muted TV showing a picture from their family vacation in Florida last year. He had no clue how they'd gotten it but he couldn't help the stab of fear he felt as pictures his children were displayed in front of the entire world, painting targets on their backs for all his enemies to see.

The picture changed again to a clip of Jason on _BreakOut_ as he said something to his co-host, Kate, and the two laughed before being doused in some sort of green slime for seemingly no reason other than the amusement of the audience.

Clark recognized it from last one he'd seen, on Friday, the world had been quiet that afternoon and seen as Chris was a huge fan of the show he'd settled down to spend some quality time with his youngest son. It was hard to believe that just three hours ago he was thinking of doing the same thing today.

"So how are we going to get a hold of him?" Ella had emerged from her room and joined the discussion of Dean's absence. "Does someone need to go-"

"G'Day, was someone looking for me?" Dean landed on the balcony with a small thump and walked in, closing the door which had been waiting open for him.

"Oh thank God," Lois sighed in relief, popping the battery out of her phone at the same time.

"DEAN!" Lucy and Ella yelled at the same time, rushing to hug their big brother.

When they let him go, Chris finally said what everyone wanted to ask, "G'Day?"

"Eh-" Dean shrugged "-it's an Australian thing."

"Probably a good thing you didn't stay longer then," Sophie muttered under her breath. "Oh, look," she said louder, pointing to the TV.

A video taken from the street below, looking up at their balcony clearly showed Dean landing on the balcony and entering, although from the angle and quality it could have been anyone of the flight-capable in the family.

"Wow," Dean muttered, shaking his head, "This is crazy, the streets are swarming with reporters- it's the top story _everywhere_. Even in Oz. What happened?"

"You don't know?" Lois asked, looking surprised. Clark was too, the video must have played at least two hundred times already on CNN alone.

But Dean just shook his head, "I heard on the radio at, like six in the morning over there. The whole camp was calling me 'Superboy' when Will told them you were my Dad. But I haven't seen the vid yet."

"Why didn't you come sooner then?" Clark asked, mentally calculating the time zones, "the trip can't have taken more than a few minutes yet you stayed for an hour after you heard?"

Dean shrugged again. "A tree fell on the road nearby and took out a few power lines as well, the bushes were on fire when I arrived so I thought I'd give them a hand," he said matter-of-factly, ignoring his family's shocked looks, "they already knew who I was. Some news channel over there found out I was in the country and they'd been showing my yearbook photo every five minutes."

"So you just used your powers in front of everyone," Ella asked, her face a strange mix of horror and surprise.

"So?" Dean looked as confused as Clark felt about her reaction, "they already knew and Dad does it all the time, just 'cause I didn't pack a cape didn't mean I couldn't lend a hand. In fact, this is pretty cool that we don't have to do it in secret anymore."

"Am I the only one _not _happy about this?" Ella yelled suddenly, making everyone jump before storming back to her room.

There was another of the many uncomfortable silences before Chris said in a small voice," I don't like being on TV either. It's scary when the bad people know what we look like."

"Do you want to go to your room as well?" Lois asked quietly, tearing her eyes from the family pictures on the TV. "We'll come get you when it's time to eat."

"Okay," Chris seemed unusually subdued as he picked up his school bag and made his way down the hall. Clark couldn't blame him, he was too young to understand just how much this was going to change his life but he knew something really bad was happening.

"So," Jason sighed once they heard Chris's door shut, "what are we going to do?"

"Clark and I were discussing it before you arrived," Lois started, pulling Clark to sit on the sofa and indicating for Jason, Dean and Lucy to do the same so they were all facing each other.

The last thing Clark felt like doing at a time like this was sitting down, the kids seemed to feel the same, Jason was bouncing his leg up and down and Lucy was shifting in her seat, earning some annoyed looks from Sophie next to her.

"Here's the deal," Lois continued, "that video is out, and our secret went with it. There's nothing we can do about that, there are so many versions and even if by some miracle someone finds fault with one of them then we'll still have to find a way to convince the hundreds of eyewitnesses they didn't see anything.

"So we need to stop trying to think up ways to convince people they're wrong and just find the best way to live with the world knowing who your father and us are-"

"But you always told us it was really important that the world didn't know Superman has kids and that's why Jason and Dean weren't allowed to, like, superhero and stuff," Lucy broke in, frowning at her parents.

"It was," Clark agreed, feeling much more certain with Lois by his side, "but things change."

"And this is one of them," Lois continued for him, "we've talked to your uncle Perry and we're going to go in tomorrow for an interview, we've decided that if this information is going public it may as well be correct."

"Like the fact that we don't know an Ellen Kent?" Lucy asked, rolling her eyes.

"Or a Sophia," Dean agreed.

"Say what?" Sophie raised her eyebrows. "They got _my_ name wrong?"

"Yeah, you'd think all they'd need to do is Google 'self-important genius girl'," Jason joked, earning a glare from his sister.

"Kids, this is serious," Lois warned, drawing their attention back to her, "and, yes, things like that but also the big things like that fact that you are all _our_ children." Her face darkened at the words and Clark pitied whatever reporter who's had the guts to imply she'd been unfaithful. "And, of course, how your father can be from another planet and still have a life here.

"Jason, Sophie and Dean, you three are welcome to join us if you want your say-"

"What about me?" Lucy asked angrily, "I want my say."

"You have school tomorrow," Clark reminded her.

"We have to go to school tomorrow?" Lucy stared at Lois and Clark as if they were insane. "Did you not see the media outside Vander's? How are-"

"Lucy," Lois cut her off and fixed her with a sharp look, "of course you will still be going to school tomorrow. We are going to continue as normally as possible, you will have to go back sometime and the sooner the better."

Lucy was about to protest more but she was interrupted when Sophie gave an ear-splitting shriek and leapt up off the couch to turn up the TV.

"What on Earth?" Jason asked as they stared at the TV.

Another video of the family was playing but this one was far older. Clark recognized a younger version of himself on the tape, holding a baby Dean as he watched a six-year-old Jason and an eighteen month old Sophie playing on the floor.

"How in the _hell_ did they get that?" Lois snarled, glaring as the camera zoomed in on her two oldest children.

"_Look, Mommy," _the Sophie on the screen was saying as she held up a piece of paper with scribbles on it.

"_It's beautiful, sweetheart," _Lois' voice came from behind the camera.

The video disappeared to reveal a reporter sitting across from a girl about Sophie's age. Sophie apparently knew who she was, Clark couldn't hear the reporter introducing her over his daughter's yell of: "That little _bitch_! So that's where she went, stupid backstabbing-"

"Soph, calm down." Jason placed a hand on her shoulder, frowning at the screen. "That's your new roommate isn't it?"

"Not anymore," Sophie spat, glaring at the girl on the TV who was smiling back at them with an arrogant smirk. "If she doesn't move out after this, then I will. That's Natalie," she explained the others, "I thought she was just out or something but my room was all messy and she must have taken that when she saw," she was so angry she could hardly get her words out.

"She went through your stuff so she had something to sell to the press," Lois sighed, "I was afraid something like this would happen, I just didn't think it would be this soon."

Onscreen Natalie and the reporter were having a conversation and Clark realized where he'd last seen the video. It had been on the DVD he and Lois had made for Sophie's twenty-first, Lois had found it amusing to embarrass her daughter in front of her friends and Clark had been dragged along.

"I can't believe the whole country is going to see me in diapers," Sophie groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Whole country?" Jason asked, sounding amused, "I'd hate to break it to you baby sis but this news is going global, the whole _world_ is going to see you in nappies."

"Oh shut up," Sophie glared at him, "I have some pictures of you I think Evelyn would kill to show at your wedding, don't make me release them."

"Wedding?" Clark asked, momentarily forgetting everything else as he stared at Jason, "You and Evelyn are getting married?"

"Oh my God!" Lucy jumped up and hugged him, "That's so great!"

"Um, thanks." Jason grinned, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Clark asked, stepping forward to pull him into a hug. "Didn't you think we could use a bit of good news?" Jason stiffed slightly and a horrible thought occurred to him. He pulled back and looked closely at Jason. "She didn't change her mind did she?" he asked, "because of this?"

"Oh my God," Sophie gasped, "Jason, I'm so sorry I wouldn't have said anything if-"

"No, no, it's not that," Jason assured them. "It's just-" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he looked at Lois and Clark, "-she sort of already knew. I told her about a year ago."

"Jason!" Lois exclaimed, "How could you? We told you not to tell _anyone_ and that includes-"

"I'm in love with her Mom," Jason yelled back, "I didn't want us to go through the same things you and Dad went through when he told you. Besides," he said, quieter, "I never told her who Dad was. I only told her what I could do, she figured the rest out herself. So _technically _I only ever told her something that was my secret to tell."

"Jason you know very well-"

"I love her, Mom, I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her," Jason said the words with absolute certainty in his voice, "she deserves to know who she's marrying."

"It's not like she wouldn't know now anyway, Lois," Clark stepped between her and Jason, trying to diffuse the fight.

"Um, guys?" Dean drew their attention back to the TV. "I don't think that's the worst of our worries right now."

Natalie had disappeared to be replaced with a picture Clark recognized well. The picture from the _Daily Planet_ picnic, taken only a year before he had returned, it had sat on Lois' desk until he'd accidentally broken it on the day he'd returned. But someone must have had a copy because the smiling faces of Lois, Richard and Jason were staring back at them from the screen as the reporter explained the significance.

"_Jason Kent lived the first four and a half years of his life without knowing his real father.__Mr. White declined comment on camera but has stated he was unaware that the boy he was raising was the son of Superman.__"_

"Oh, that can't be good," Lois groaned.

"Do you think Uncle Richard's going to be mad?" Lucy asked but she was shushed by Sophie.

"I don't think this is the worst of it," she told them, "you heard what she said, a lot of people are going to be under the impression their hero is a deadbeat dad."

"_Of course, this does raise many questions. Did Mrs. Kent not believe her ex had a right to know who the real father of the boy he was raising was? And speaking of fatherhood, how good a father can a man like Superman, who has so many responsibilities, really be?__"_

"_Exactly,__"_the man agreed, _"__And to find out that he__'__s been leading a double life for the last three decades or so- those kids probably never see him at all. Not good parenting if you ask me.__"_

"No one did," Lucy practically snarled at the TV. The other children looked equally furious.

"He's got no idea what he's talking about, stupid son of a-"

"Sophie," Lois warned her, mindful of Chris' impressionable ears no matter where he was in the house. Although, Clark was certain she'd said worse within his hearing.

"Well he is, bloody idiot," Dean agreed, surprising everyone. Dean was the very personification of a gentle giant, his 6'4" frame belied his slow-to-anger nature but right now he was staring at the television with a look that would make the reporter thank which ever gods he worshiped he wasn't within Dean's reach. "I'm coming with you tomorrow," he told Clark, "someone needs to tell them how wrong they are."

"Me too," Jason agreed, "I think half of this is going to be about you leaving me to go to Krypton, no matter how much you tell them you didn't know. But, don't listen to them Dad, we _know_ you're a great father."

"Yeah, we wouldn't trade you for anything," Sophie agreed, "I'll come too, we'll show those idiots we're a closer family than most, superhero Dad and all."

"Thanks, kids." Clark felt slightly better seeing his children so eager to jump to his defense. But the old feelings of guilt and disappointment for missing a good part of Jason's life were still there and he was afraid of how much they'd come back to haunt him after his failures as a father we revealed for the whole world to see.

Dinner was incredibly tense. The older kids attempted to keep the mood light by discussing Jason's engagement but the conversation just seemed awkward and forced and they eventually lapsed into silence again.

The world itself seemed almost to have ground to a halt at the news. Clark only realized it as he was getting ready for bed, not that he thought he'd get any sleep, but it was probably the first time in a while he'd gone such a long time without having to respond to an emergency. He was immensely glad it hadn't happened, he still had no real idea how he was going to act when it happened, Clark was always so different from Superman but now that from today on everyone knew they were the same person-

"Who am I going to be tomorrow?" Clark asked out loud. "I've always played two different roles and now that the secret's out I'm not sure how to act."

"Is that what you're worried about?" Lois heard him as she came out of the bathroom, she walked across the room to stand in front of him but Clark couldn't bring himself to look at her. "Clark, Clark look at me," she commanded him, reaching up and pulling his chin up so she could see his eyes. "Clark tomorrow you are going to wake up the same person you are now, the same person you have always been. You're going to be Martha and Jonathan Kent's son, you're still going to be a father and you are still going to be my husband. You were Clark Kent yesterday, you're Clark Kent today, and you'll still be Clark Kent tomorrow," she assured him.

Clark just sighed, "I wish I could be that certain."

* * *

**A/N: **I said it last chapter but I'll remind you all again. Next chapter will be in two weeks rather than one as I'm going to Korea tomorrow for eleven days- my granddad was a Korean War vet. and I was nominated by him to attend the UN Peace Camp in Seoul so it should be fun. Anyway, see you with a new chapter when I get back!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I'm back! Thanks to everyone for wishing me a good time in Korea, it was fantastic! But now what you're all here for:

**Chapter Six: **_**Secrets, Lies and Saving Lives**_

* * *

No one really got to sleep that night, Sophie and Dean had taken their old rooms and Jason had been forced onto the couch as Lucy had taken over his room as soon as he'd moved out. He supposed he could've gone back home, all the older kids could have but no one had even bothered to suggest it. This was, as his producer had said, a family crisis, and no one felt like being the one to separate them.

Jason had managed to get a hold of Evelyn using one of Lucy's old cell phones and assure her they were working on getting everything under control. She was staying with her sister and her family and as much as Jason wanted to see her he didn't want to lead the press straight to her door. Oddly, she'd seemed less than eager to explain her family's reaction to the news which had made Jason more anxious to see her.

He was lying awake, letting his mind drift aimlessly, when he heard his parents' bedroom door open. He automatically extended his hearing to include the whole apartment and wasn't surprised to hear he wasn't the only one who noticed his Dad's imminent departure.

Within less than a second Dean was at Clark's side as he walked into the living room with his super-Suit.

"It sounds big, Dad," Dean said, speaking quietly even though Jason knew they'd both be able to tell he was awake.

"What is it?" he asked, sitting up and throwing his sheets off him, "Can we help?"

"I really don't think that's a good idea." Clark's voice was tense and he spoke quickly.

Jason winced as he let in the full sounds of Metropolis flood his hearing but almost immediately found what he was looking for. Just twenty blocks from their apartment another building had caught fire, it sounded out-of-control and the firemen certainly wouldn't be able to save everyone. They hadn't even reached it yet.

"We're coming." Sophie had joined them now and the words were a statement not a question.

"Kids-" Clark started and Jason quickly formed more arguments in his head to convince him, anticipating a struggle but his brother wasn't so worried about whether or not Clark agreed.

Dean was out of the building and speeding towards the fire before Clark even got his next word out. "Dean's right," Sophie said, agreeing with her younger brother's way of doing things and promptly following his lead.

"C'mon, Dad." Jason waited back in the apartment even as Sophie and Dean reached the fire and shot into the building. "You know you can use the help, that's a big fire and you can't do it alone. And we'll have to face the world sometime- better we show them we're still here to help."

Clark didn't say anything but Jason saw his head dip ever so slightly and grinned as he speed out the balcony and leapt into the air, his father close behind.

Jason had never participated so openly in one of his father's rescues and he felt overly exposed as he raced toward the building. He quickly x-rayed the entire structure, the fire seemed to have started on the second, third and fourth floors simultaneously and alarm bells immediately sounded in his head- but there'd be time to investigate the cause later, now he was focused on getting the residents out alive.

Sophie had started in various places on the fourth floor, she'd already gotten it clear of people and was now carefully using her breath to try and prevent the spread of the fire and stabilize the building so the top floors wouldn't collapse. Dean had started on the second floor, evacuating the residents.

Clark shot straight into the third floor and Jason had a moment's hesitation before zooming to the top of the building. The fire was quickly eating through the foundations and he wasn't sure if they'd hold. Most of the residents were trying to make their way down, having being awoken by the alarm but were finding it difficult due to the smoke billowing up the stairs. Many had already made their way to the roof and that was where he started.

"Who are you?" A woman stood in her nightgown clutching the hands of two children as she stared at Jason in confusion.

"Are you Jason?" One of the children asked, tilting his head to the side, apparently not entirely aware of the danger they were in and he continued, "from that TV show and-"

"Ma'am, the fire's spreading very quickly," Jason interrupted the boy, he felt a little bad for doing so but he figured it wasn't really the time for casual conversation about his job, "I need to get you and your children to safety."

"How-" she started before understanding and recognition dawned on her face, "you're one of _his _kids, so it true then-"

He didn't let her finish her sentence, scooping her and the children up and taking them down to a newly arrived fire truck as fast as they could handle, barely pausing to give the stunned firemen a nod before shooting back upwards.

He knew it was better to warn people when rescuing them but by the time the fourth person had started to ask him about the news rather than to be taken to safety he was wondering if maybe his hero identity could be a little less polite than his normal one. _Not that that__'__ll work now anyway._

He shot back upwards, this time joined by his brother. "Sophie and Dad just got the fire out and all the floors up to the fifteenth are clear. Dad's pretty confident the building's stable but we still need to get everyone out," Dean reported in a breathless voice.

"Right," Jason responded, surprised to find himself sounding just as out of breath. It wasn't the physical exertion, he'd hardly broken a sweat and he knew it would take a lot more to tire Dean out. It was nerves, they both knew what would be waiting when they were done with the building, Jason glanced down and saw the flashing lights of the press, almost blinding his sister as she landed to deliver an elderly man into the care of the medics.

"Actually," Clark interjected as he flew up beside them, "that's everyone. Sophie managed to get the last man out, the rest had already started down the stairs once we extinguished the fire."

"Wow." Jason raised his eyebrows, "that was fast, and I guess the fire wasn't half as bad as we thought."

Clark turned away suddenly to look down at the growing crowd and sighed. "No," he said quietly, "it was bad, in fact if you three hadn't been here it would have been far worse. I have no doubt many people would have died."

The brothers were silent as they considered their father's words. "I guess we make a good team then," Dean said after a moment.

"Yes," Clark agreed, "we do. Thanks for coming," he said with a small grin.

Jason felt his hair move in a slight wind and Sophie appeared before them. "All done?" she asked brightly, her face flushed with the success of the night. "That was brilliant," she continued before the men could reply, "I mean, did you see how awesome we were together? And you didn't even want us to come," she reminded her father.

"I was wrong, you were very helpful," Clark admitted, not even bothering to hide the proud grin on his face as he looked at his children. Jason knew it wasn't everyday that no one died and if more people got to live as a result of the world knowing Superman had children then there was already some good coming of it.

"Hate to interrupt our patting of ourselves on the back," Dean broke in seriously, "but I think we all know what we're putting off." He glanced pointedly towards the ground, seven stories below.

"I thought we were waiting until the interview tomorrow, you know, give everyone some time to get used to it and stuff before we dump everything on them." Sophie looked just as reluctant as Jason felt, he was used to some media attention and being recognized on the street, being on TV five days a week will do that but something told him this was a whole new ball game.

"We can't anyway, Lois promised Perry the exclusive- that means no talking to any media before the _Planet_," Clark told them, the other three noticeably relaxed. "That doesn't mean we won't have to face them sometime," he warned.

"Did anyone else think that fire was a bit suspicious?" Sophie asked, changing the subject abruptly.

"It was definitely arson," Clark agreed, "normal fires don't start simultaneously on three floors."

"Should we tell them?"

"Soph, they're professional firefighters, they'll figure it out," Jason reminded her, less than anxious to go anywhere but straight back to the safety of the apartment.

"I think she's right though," Clark agreed reluctantly, "I saw traces of three different accelerants on the floors which means there's a high likelihood of a team of arsons."

"Is that common?" Sophie asked with a frown, "arsonists working as teams?" Jason wasn't sure whether she was actually curious or just wanted to stall more.

"Why don't we ask the experts," Clark replied, pointing towards the ground where someone who appeared to be the head firefighter was waiting in an alleyway out of sight of the cameras and looking up at them.

"Well that was nice of him," Sophie commented as the group descended.

They landed silently behind the man, Jason didn't know who he was but Clark seemed to recognize him. "Lieutenant Anderson," he greeted him, making the firefighter jump as he turned around, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the three people behind the hero.

"Oh, so I guess it's true then," he said half to himself.

"You can read the _truth_ in tomorrow's _Daily Planet_," Clark told him, sounding so much like Superman that there was a flicker of doubt on the man's face. "I'd rather discuss this fire, and the circumstances surrounding it."

"We know it's arson," the fireman assured him, "and we already know who started it."

"What?" Sophie stepped forward before anyone else could talk. "How on Earth can you know who started it already?"

"Sophie," Clark quietly placed a hand on her arm. Jason knew his sister could be impatient and right now ganging up on the poor man didn't seem like a good idea.

"Well, actually that's what I wanted to warn you about," he started.

"_Warn _us about?" Sophie interrupted again.

"Yeah," Lieutenant Anderson rubbed the back of his neck nervously as if he wasn't sure how they'd react, "apparently it was started by a group of reporters from the _Inquisitor_."

"Why would a group of reporters start an apartment fire?" Dean asked quietly.

The other four were silent, the realization of why the act had been committed slowly creeping over them. Finally it was Clark who spoke. "To draw us out," he said bitterly, "they wanted a fire so bad Superman would have to come and then they'd get the pictures."

"The cops already have them," Anderson assured them, "they'll all be dealt with."

"How many people lived in this building?" Clark asked quietly, "How many lives did they endanger?"

"I'm sorry-" the Lieutenant started but Clark held up his hand.

"It's not you," he interrupted, "it's _them._" He glared at the reporters and if Jason didn't know his father better he would've thought that the expression his face held was nothing but hatred and contempt.

"Aren't you a reporter?" the fireman asked rather thoughtlessly.

Clark was gone before any of the kids fully registered what the firefighter had said. Jason allowed one last glace back at the ground bellow as he and his siblings followed suit. He couldn't shake the feeling that, as horrible as what had happened here was, it was only just beginning.

* * *

Richard White had called in sick to work that morning and no one could blame him. The Japanese news stations were filled with his face, the whole world wanted a piece of this story and Japan had found theirs in the man who'd raised Superman's eldest son for four years before fleeing to their very own capital city.

"_Richard White worked as a journalist in London before transferring to his Uncle__'__s paper,_ The Daily Planet_, where he meet Lois Lane, his future fiancée-__"_

"Richard?" his wife had come quietly into the room and was staring at him as he sat on the couch, still wearing the same clothes he'd come home in and staring at the TV with a glazed expression.

"_- Lois Lane had tricked Mr. White into believing the boy he was raising was his own-__"_

"Well, I know that's not true," Tomoko said, joining her husband on the couch, "you said you knew he wasn't yours from the start."

"Doesn't mean I didn't love him like he was," Richard all but snarled at her.

Tomoko didn't seem offended. "I know, I didn't mean that at all," she assured him, reaching for the remote.

"Leave it on," Richard snapped. "I want to see this, I want to see the world know that that man abandoned his son for four years then waltzed right back home to take everything I cared about away."

"_Everything _you cared about then?" Tomoko asked, narrowing her eyes. "I suppose Eric and I are just something to amuse yourself with until you steal her back? She looked pretty happy to me last time I saw her and how many times did her and Clark pay for Jason to fly out and see you?"

"Pay?" Richard ripped his eyes from the screen for the first time in hours. "Of course they didn't bloody pay!" he stood up, pointing angrily at the TV, "That man- that _alien_- that's been masquerading as a human all these years just flew him here in moments and then went back home to laugh about how stupid I was to his wife."

Richard knew the Japanese hated anger and conflict but he didn't care as he screamed his mis-placed anger at his wife. But Tomoko Hanari had attended an American school in her teens and been to college in England before traveling the world as an international correspondent for Japan biggest news stations, she wasn't your average Japanese housewife.

"Sit down!" she yelled back, drawing herself up to her full height which didn't even compete with her husband's when she was calm but now seemed to be towering over him. "I will not allow you to talk to me like that, especially when I don't deserve any of your anger!" Richard dropped back into his seat like a rock but his wife wasn't done. "Yes, that man might have flown him here himself but that's because it was _easier_. Did you ever think that if he didn't want you and Jason to have a connection then he would have made things as difficult as possible, well did you?"

Richard didn't answer instead just looking down in shame. He hadn't thought that, and it was true that Clark had always been eager for Richard to remain a part of Jason's life, even inviting him to parent-teacher conferences once when he was in town. And it certainly wasn't his fault the Lois's heart belonged to him but- "They lied to me," he said quietly, unable to ignore the pain of the secret they'd kept from him. "I had a right to know who Jason's true father was but they still kept it from me."

"I know," Tomoko's voice returned to her usual soft tone as well, "but yelling a the TV isn't' going to help and neither is avoiding your family. Eric refused to leave for school this morning until I promised him you'd be here when I got back."

Richard buried his face in his hands at her words, feeling like the absolute worst father ever. He knew his son had abandonment issues and he was pretty sure he knew who caused them, and it wasn't the beautiful woman standing over him with her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, I'm not the one who was in tears this morning as I wondered if Daddy wasn't going to get on the next plane to Metropolis."

"You're right," Richard relented.

"Of course I am, or did you forget why you married me?" Tomoko asked with a smile. "Now, look, there's plenty of time to think about this but now you need to go have a shower and I'll make you something to eat. Then when you have a clear head on your shoulders we'll talk about this."

"Yes, ma'am," Richard nodded as he got up to follow orders. He still hurt over the news that his son-turned-nephew was actually half-Kryptonian but Tomoko was right- with a nice home, a beautiful wife and a brilliant son he didn't have it all that bad.

But he just couldn't stop wondering why Lois had lied to him.

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter was originally meant to be the interview at the _Planet_ and a few other things but then this kinda wrote itself and that all got bumped back to Ch 7, hope you enjoyed it!

Reviews are love! (Seriously, had a bad really day... give me some love? *puppy eyes*)


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Yes, I'm late… _really_ late. Two reasons: one being I had a truly horrible week (and I mean horrible) and the other being this was an extremely difficult chapter for me to write but I hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter Seven: **_**Not Who You Thought I Was**_

* * *

Lois woke up as Clark left, the familiar movement beside her pulling her slowly out of her dreams. "Hurry back," she muttered sleepily, not even bothering to open her eyes as she felt her husband kiss her lightly as he did every time he had to leave.

The door closed behind him and Lois rolled over, intending to go straight back to sleep before she heard two more doors opened and close and muffled conversation in the living room. It almost sounded like Jason and maybe Sophie. That was odd, she thought, pulling the covers up higher, why would Jason and Sophie be here in the middle of the night?

"Oh, god," she gasped, sitting up so fast she almost got whiplash. "Oh, god," she repeated, burying her face in her hands as the events of yesterday flooded her mind.

She was still sitting like that when Clark returned almost half an hour later. She heard him land and quickly tried to pull herself together for him. She had no doubt he'd forgive her for a brief forgetful moment but he'd probably be far more hurt if she wasn't waiting for him when he got back from his first public outing as a single person.

He came in and Lois only had to look at his face to know it was far worse than she'd thought. She didn't wait for him to get changed like usual or even move at all, she just got up and put her arms around him, not saying a word. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

They seemed to stay like that forever, just the two of them, finding comfort in each other's arms and trying to forget the world outside and what they now knew. "They know," Clark spoke so quietly she would have missed it if she hadn't felt his chest move. "They really know," he repeated.

Lois stepped back so she could look at him properly. "We'll get through this," she promised.

"I thought-" Clark shook his head, "I kinda hoped it was just a nightmare or something," he said quietly, "but they actually know."

"What happened?" Lois asked, sensing that there was still more behind his words.

"The fire was arson," Clark explained, "it was set by some reporters from the _Inquisitor_."

"Oh my god." Lois had been a reporter long enough to know that there were some people who'd do everything they could to get a story. "Was it-"

"It was bad," he confirmed, "the death toll probably would have been in the double figures, but," a hint of a smile flashed over his face, "at least I had some help this time."

"I wish I could have seen them." Lois smiled, trying to stay on the good things that had come out of the night. "Maybe now they'll stop complaining about not being able to help."

"Lois, he knew," Clark repeated quietly, "the firefighter, he _knew_. We went down and he knew I was a reporter."

"Well, it has been on the news all day," Lois reasoned before realizing what Clark actually thought the firefighter had said. "Clark, Superman isn't something you just made up, some dress up game you play when you get bored. You _are_ Superman as much as you are Clark, and anyone who believes Superman would willingly endanger innocent people's lives to get a picture or a story isn't worth worrying about."

Clark nodded, but Lois couldn't tell if he was entirely convinced. "You're right."

On a school day it was hard to get any of the children up before they had to be out the door and on the bus. But today, even when Clark had promised to fly them which generally meant at least an extra half hour, everyone was up with the sun.

"You went out last night?" Lucy gaped at Dean and Sophie as they tried to eat breakfast. "Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"You couldn't have come anyway," Sophie reminded her, putting down her half-eaten toast.

"But I could've watched it on TV," Lucy said slowly as if she was explaining it to a small child.

"Luce, I'm pretty sure they'll play it again, the media were practically in a feeding frenzy when they saw Dad wasn't alone," Dean assured her, staring his six slice of toast.

"How can you two eat on a day like this?" Sophie asked, looking at him and Chris with something close to disgust as they continued to fill their plates.

"We just put it in our mouth and chew," Chris explained, "see?" He opened his mouth, revealing half his chewed breakfast and making the girls yell in disgust and his brother laugh.

"Chris, that is _gross,_" Lucy groaned.

Watching from the door of their bedroom, Lois couldn't help a small chuckle. "Nice to have all the kids home again isn't it?" she asked with more than a hint of sarcasm.

Clark didn't reply and Lois turned to see him looking in the mirror and adjusting his hair for the hundredth time in the last minute. "I don't know what to wear," he said, still in the clothes he'd slept in last night. Or lay awake staring at the roof in. He turned to Lois looking so lost that her heart hurt for him.

Keeping the kids safe was one thing, but she knew better than anyone how much _Clark _had needed his secret to remain one. "Wear whatever you want," Lois told him, "for once you don't have to worry about what people see when they look at you. You can just be yourself, here, how about just wearing what you do at home, where everyone already knows who you are." She reached in and pulled out a plain blue T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Do you think I should wear my glasses?" Clark asked, taking the clothes she'd chosen and changing in the blink of an eye.

"Do you want to?" Lois didn't want to make all the decisions for him, no matter how nervous he was.

"I don't know, everyone knows I don't need them but-"

"You like hiding behind them," Lois completed for him.

"Yeah." Clark picked up the think frames off the dresser. "I'd feel… exposed without them. But I guess that's what I am now," he sighed, putting them back down. "No one likes being caught in a lie and I've just been exposed to the whole world as a liar and a fraud."

"Clark, that's not true," Lois protested, feeling her jaw drop at the words. "No one thinks-" but she stopped abruptly. She'd been trying hard not to turn on the TV or radio but she had no doubt that's exactly what some people were saying.

"Clark, you know most of those people are just speaking from ignorance. That's why we're doing this interview, so that we can tell them the truth, help them understand."

It took another half and hour of gentle pushing but Lois finally managed to get Clark dressed and out into the kitchen to have breakfast. Or stare at his plate without eating anything, but one step at a time.

The knock on the door was so unexpected Lois almost dropped her plate. They'd gotten so used to their isolation In the last few hours that it was a shock to recall there were still people outside wanting to know what was going on.

"Who is it?" Chris demanded after a moment of silence. Lois wanted to know too, it was hard being the only two people in the family that couldn't see though walls.

"It's the Taylors," Jason replied, squinting through the door.

"Are they angry?" Ella asked quietly, looking worried.

"Why would they be angry?" Sophie looked at her oddly. "It was hardly any of their business if Dad was Superman or not."

"Is anyone actually going to answer it?" Lucy asked, making no move to do so but looking questioningly at the others.

"Oh, right," Clark snapped out of his daze and headed for the door, seven pairs of eyes watching his every move.

"Hey, Owen, Tina, Kathy," Clark greeted as he opened the door, nodding to

Mr. and Mrs. Taylor and their thirteen year old daughter.

The family stared at Clark for a moment before Kathy spoke. "You really do look different without your glasses, Mr. Kent."

"Well that was kinda the point," Clark chuckled nervously as Kathy's parents continued to stare.

"I guess." Kathy shrugged. "But you don't really look like Superman either."

"Katherine, that enough," her father finally broke his silence and tore his eyes from Clark's spectacle-free face to reprimand his daughter. It seemed rather unnecessary though and Clark wondered if he didn't just want something to say.

"I was just making an observation," Kathy protested, "besides, it's not a secret anymore is it?"

"So it's true then?" Tina burst out suddenly, sounding as if she'd been holding in the question all night. "you are really Superman."

"Er, I guess," Clark answered, suddenly less sure of himself as the three people on the other side of the door continued to stare intensely at him.

The Kents and Taylors had known each other for six years, ever since the Taylors had moved into the apartment across from them but Clark couldn't shake the feeling they were now seeing a stranger when they looked at him.

"Mom, Dad, it's rude to stare," Kathy reminded her parents quietly.

"Oh, sorry," Tina apologized, still not looking away, while Owen continued to stare with an unerving hint of hostility in his gaze. "but really, we had to come and ask," Mrs. Taylor continued. "I mean you're the reason most of this building can't go anywhere today, Kathy's school was understanding but our work wasn't so much."

"Wait, she doesn't have to go to school?" Ella demanded, jumping up from the table and moving to stand beside her father. "_We _still have to go and we're way more involved than she is."

"Hey, I _want_ to go," Kathy told her, "do you know how cool it'll be when everyone finds out I live next door to Superman."

"Eleanor, you are going because you have the means to get there- Kathy does not," Lois reminded her daughter.

"Well, we just came over to see if the fuss was justified really," Tina admitted, seeming embarrassed by the explanation. Clark nodded in understanding, trying not to make eye-contact with a now-openly glaring Mr. Taylor.

"I'm surprised you're _all _here though," Kathy said, still not seeming phased at discovering her next-door neighbor and occasional babysitter flew around the world in tights and a cape. "I mean with all the stuff about Jason's girlfriend and the crap about Sophie getting kicked out of Harvard-"

"What?" two voices cried at once, Jason and Sophie both rushing to the door.

"What's happened with Evelyn?"

"Why am I going to get kicked out of Harvard? Is it because of that thing last month? 'Cause that was totally not me."

The Taylors looked rather frightened by the sudden barrage of questions. "It's all over the news," Kathy informed them, "haven't you been watching?"

"Not really," Clark admitted, really wishing he could just slip his glasses back on without looking strange. He couldn't believe how naked he felt without them.

"Well you might want to check that out," Owen suggested, his tone rather cold towards his neighbor. "We'll be leaving you now, goodbye… _Clark_."

Clark flinched at the last word, the name sounding almost like and insult and it hurt twice as much coming from someone he'd considered a friend. He closed the door and sighed. "I guess a lot of people don't like being lied to," he muttered.

"He'll get over it, Mr. Taylor was always a bit weird if you ask me," Sophie told him, "but getting back to more pressing issues, why am I getting kicked out of Harvard?"

"Dad," Jason interrupted his sister's rant quietly, "I know we said we'd go with you guys but-"

"Go," Clark interrupted him, "we'll survive without you and I know you won't be able to think straight worrying about Evelyn anyway."

Jason had shot out the window before anyone else could even talk. "He really does like her then, I guess," Lois sighed.

"I should hope so," Sophie told her, "they're getting married."

"Unless she'd dumped him over all this crap," Ella put in, "maybe that's what all the stuff's about on TV."

"She already knew who he was," Lucy reminded her.

"So? Now the paparazzi's after her she might be reconsidering."

"Dad, I think I have to go to," Sophie told him regretfully as the twins continued to bicker in the background. "I really can't afford to lose my place at Harvard, if something's happening I need to be there."

"I know." Clark kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Go."

"Good luck," she whispered, hugging him before following her brother out the balcony door.

"I guess it's just you and me now, Superman," Lois said with a sad sort of smile, coming over to stand with him.

"Just us?" Clark asked, "what about-"

"Dean's agreed to take the kids to school," Lois informed him quietly as they observed the usual chaos taking place at the breakfast table. "Ella's apparently having a hard time with this and you know how close they are."

Clark nodded, he could understand the other kids' reactions to him and the reveal but Ella's puzzled him. She'd always been the calm and happy one, avoiding conflict and trying to make sure everyone got on but now- now she seemed almost determined to make sure everyone was angry.

"It hadn't even been a day yet, Clark," Lois reminded him, following his gaze to their youngest daughter, "she just needs some time to get used to it."

"Have a good day kids," he called as they got their things ready, the words sounding strangely normal on a day he knew would be anything but.

"Whatever." Ella shrugged and stalked out to the balcony, refusing to look at her father.

"Don't worry, Dad." Lucy saw him watching her sister. "We'll be fine- maybe we'll get a bit more attention than we're used to but personally I look forward to it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't sweat it," she said with a shrug, "_I_ was always going to be famous, I just didn't think it would be this easy." She grinned and practically skipped towards her brother.

"Easy?" Clark shook his head as he watched her go. "I don't think anything about this is going to be easy."

"Are you ready?"

They were hovering above the _Planet_. Looking down she could just make out the huge crowd on the streets being held back from the door by security while police had given up trying to keep them off the road and were redirecting traffic instead.

Even people who worked in the building were having a difficult time getting in. Lois suspected many of them wouldn't have even gone home, she had no doubt half the _Planet _would have pulled all-nighters. She could see most of them gathered on the roof, eyes skyward as they watched for the man who'd fooled them all for almost three decades.

"No," Clark replied, apparently deciding honesty was the best policy. "I don't think I'll ever be ready for this."

"We might as well get it over with," Lois shifted slightly in his grasp so she would be facing her workmates when they landed.

…if they landed. "Clark, are we going down?" she asked when he didn't move.

"I suppose we'll have to go down sometimes," Clark sighed, "should we do this fast or slow?"

Lois thought about it for a moment. "Fast," she decided, "like ripping off a band-aid."

The world blurred and there was a rush of air before Lois found herself standing beside their desks in an almost deserted bullpen. "That fast enough for you?" Clark raised an eyebrow and grinned slightly at her but refused to look up at any of the other people in the room, all of whom were staring at the pair with slack-jawed expressions.

"I _meant _down to the roof," Lois grumbled, glaring at a copy boy nearby. "What are you looking at?"

"Oh, I was wondering when you guys were going to show," a bright, cheerful and entirely unsurprised voice floated across the desks. "You've made quite a stir in the last twenty four hours."

"We noticed," Lois muttered dryly as the pair turned to face an amused looking Jimmy Olsen who immediately snapped a picture of them.

"Jeez, Jimmy a little warning next time," Clark muttered as Lois blinked the flash out of her eyes.

"Could say the same to you too, CK," the photographer replied, his cheerful demeanor slipping for a moment. "I mean, Sarah's freaking out, not letting Alice go to school today and _really _annoyed I didn't tell her about you."

"Oh gosh, Jimmy, I'm really sorry-"

"Don't," Jimmy stopped him with a sigh, "it's not really your fault I guess, I saw the footage and you did what you had to, but things have been so hectic here- I don't think anyone's gone home since it aired. I only just got out for Alice's big night, which was actually way more successful than we thought- in part because everyone found out she knew you."

Clark shifted uncomfortably as Lois quizzed Jimmy on the events that had unfolded in the bullpen after Clark's secret had been blown. He was highly aware that everyone in the room had their eyes pinned on him. And someone had gotten word to those on the roof that they had arrived. The crowd was making it's way downstairs and most of them seemed angry.

"- the _Planet_'s being turned into a bit of a laughing stock by the other papers," Jimmy was explaining, "apparently they're all under the impression Clark Kent is pretty much Superman in glasses, I don't think they get it yet."

"Well, that is why we're here." Clark nodded, sitting down in his chair as the first reporters began coming back inside, wishing he could become just as invisible as he'd always been. His desk was exactly the same as he'd left it the previous day, the normality of it was just a little unnerving.

"So, Clark, no glasses today then?" Polly from Lifestyle was the first one to pass their desks and the first one to have the courage to say anything. The rest were either staring at Clark's naked face with open disbelief or shooting glares at him from behind their desks. "Or do you prefer Superman now?" she asked, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow as if daring him to deny it.

The hushed whispers stopped almost instantly as the entire room listened in. Clark wasn't sure how to answer it but he didn't have to as Ralph jumped in before he could reply. "Don't listen to him, he'll just lie to everyone again, like he's been doing for the last twenty years."

"Hey," Jimmy jumped in to defend his friend, "hardly anything CK said was a lie, he really did grow up in Kansas."

"But he was born on a different planet," someone else yelled back, "guess he left that part out of his resume."

"And now look what you've done, we're the laughing stock of the _world_ for not seeing through a pair of glasses."

"What did you get some sort of sick pleasure from tricking us?"

"And that's the last time anyone believes anything you say, Lois," Gil called out, glaring at her, "claiming you never did Superman while you went ahead and married him behind everyone's backs."

That did it for Clark, they could insult him as much as they wanted but no one was allowed to insult the integrity of his wife.

"_Enough!_" His deep voice carried across the whole bullpen as he stood up to his full height, staring at his colleagues. The silence was instant and expressions of anger and distrust morphed into fear and awe as they found themselves staring at a very different Clark Kent from the one they knew. "I accept that you have questions and I do intend to answer them and I accept that you feel I lied to you and I did, to an extent," he admitted, the whole room hanging on his every word, "but I _am _Clark Kent, Superman is just something I do, until now I felt that it was necessary to keep that a secret for the protection of my wife and children. Yes, you may feel betrayed and tricked _but_," he glared at Gil in particular, "I will not stand by and let you insult my wife because she wanted to protect my secret."

"_Our_ secret," Lois reminded him, "don't think you're getting rid of me that easily, Mr. Kent."

"Hey, I'm not paying you lot to stand around doing nothing," Perry's voice cracked over the bullpen, making everyone jump. He'd only just stuck his head out of his office but Clark had absolutely no doubt the old man knew exactly what had just happened. "We've got a story to write."

"They're right here, Chief," Jimmy called as everyone tried to busy themselves while still shooting glances at the couple.

"Good." Perry nodded as he looked at his two star reporters turned story of the century. "Now we can get started."

* * *

**A/N: **I know quite a few of you were expecting the interview this chapter and I was planning on it but I didn't feel like I could give it the attention it deserved at the moment (see 'horrible week' in previous **A/N**) and I think it fits better in its own chapter.

Reviews are love.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Okay, so some of you may have seen the story that appeared last week that was rather similar to mine which also began with Superman's identity being revealed to the public. A few left reviews commenting how similar it was and the author contacted me asking my permission to continue. So first things first: I didn't think I had to, nor had the _right_ to, give permission for anyone else to write a public-reveal fic- it's not _my_ idea to claim, even _Smallville_ did a version of it with their Clark. So I replied to the author telling her I had no problem, however she has since changed the story anyway and as far as I know plans to continue with that plot. So, long story short: I saw it, I have no problem with it but I thought I should mention it here in case some were wondering.

Now back to _this_ story: I actually wasn't originally intending to write the interview at all (hence the shortness of this chapter) but I gave it a go because so many people asked. I hope I didn't disappoint you too much :P (And sorry it's late- I was on time but the beta forgot to attach it when she sent it back and I had to wait for her to get up and check her e-mails)

**Chapter Eight: **_**The Time Has Come…**_

* * *

"_You__'__re_ doing the interview?" Clark raised an eyebrow at the man standing by the door.

"Of course not," Jimmy assured them, "I mean, I couldn't really do it properly."

"You know us too well," Lois agreed. All three of them knew that the type of questions this interview would bring would be far better dealt with by someone who didn't mind asking harsh questions and demanding difficult answers.

"So," Clark sighed, almost afraid to ask, "who's doing it then?"

"Ralph."

"Oh that'll be fun," Lois muttered sarcastically, looking out the window to where Ralph and Gil were standing. The pair weren't even bothering to hide their glares as they looked toward the conference room Perry had set aside for the interview.

Clark got up and pointedly closed the blinds so no one could see in. "I'm sure they have questions that need to be answered," he said quietly, not sounding too excited about having to answer any of those questions though, "in fact I surprised Perry didn't want us here as soon as the news broke- we're not even going to make the evening edition at this rate."

Jimmy laughed, "CK, you're the top story in the whole _world_ right now, we're printing a special edition whenever we're ready. Everyone knows you'll give us the exclusive- We could probably wait a _week_ and still outsell every paper in Metropolis ten times over with this."

The _Planet_'s top reporting team took a moment to reflect on the strangeness of becoming a story themselves before Lois turned her attention back to Jimmy, "so what are you doing in here again?" she asked, clearly trying to keep things on a lighter note.

The younger man shrugged. "I guess I was just wondering if you wanted to talk, Ralph will be another few minutes- all the news stations figured you'd come to us and the phones are ringing off the hook with questions they want answered."

Clark sighed and rested his head on the door frame, eyes closed as he tried to sort out the jumble of emotions he was feeling. He wondered what the kids were doing at that moment, the first day of their new lives. Briefly he wondered if they should've gone to school, that maybe it would have been better if they'd stayed home for the first day.

"Clark?"

He turned back to Lois. "Sorry," he muttered, "I was just thinking..."

"About the kids?" she asked softly, before explaining to Jimmy, "We sent them to school today, we figured they'd have to go sometime."

"That's what I told Sarah," Jimmy agreed, "but she refused to let Alice out of her sight- even though we could've easily made it."

"You don't have media camped out at your house then?" Clark asked in surprise. It was well known at the _Planet_ that Jimmy was one of Clark's best friends and to most journalists in the city that Jimmy was Lois and Clark's photographer of choice.

Jimmy just shrugged. "There are a few, the phone's been ringing off the hook but as for actual reporters hounding us?" He shrugged again. "I guess Superman's friend isn't as interesting as him or his kids." He didn't sound too disappointed by it though. "Besides," he added, "the real drama's been inside- Sarah's annoyed I never told her, Alice is entering teenage rebellion full force and using this to her advantage- I believe her arguments were somewhere along the lines of: 'if Uncle Clark can wear something as tight as that why can't I?' "

Lois burst into laugher as Clark reddened at the realization the whole world knew _Clark Kent _wore tights on a daily basis. But it wasn't long before they were interrupted by a knock on the door. The three shared a look before Jimmy opened the door, "Hey, Ralph, I was just going," he said, turning back to Lois and Clark and mouthing 'good luck' before disappearing back into the chaos of the bullpen.

"Morning, Lois," Ralph greeted her, turning to Clark, "and whoever _you_ are."

"I'm the same person I've been for the last twenty years, Ralph," Clark assured him, wondering how many more comments like that he'd be getting.

Ralph didn't reply, instead placing a recorder on the table and opening the folder of questions he'd brought in. "Sit down, please," he told Lois, "then we'll get started."

Lois sat but she took her time as if showing Ralph she was doing so because she wanted to not because he asked her to. Clark knew Lois liked to be in control, especially in interviews, but now she was on the other side of the table he didn't know how she'd react.

Ralph was a good reporter- Clark had always admired his work, his interviews in particular were always in-depth and he had a way of getting the information he wanted out of even the most reluctant subjects. On top of that, he didn't know Lois and Clark too well despite working at the _Planet_ for the last two decades they'd never really had a conversation not related to work. Clark had to admit he was a good choice, even if it made him more nervous for what this interview would bring.

"So," Ralph stared, after introducing them on the recorder, "let's start from the beginning. How can a man who _claims_ to be from another planet have a life and a home here?"

Clark sighed with relief, it was an important questions but it was also an easy one, one he'd had to answer almost every single time he'd told his secret to anyone. The first part of the interview was surprisingly easy, Ralph asked questions about his childhood and how he found out he was different.

"I always knew I was adopted," Clark explained, "but it wasn't until my first day of school when I realized the other kids got hurt and didn't move as fast as I did that I asked my parents about it."

"And they just told you, you were an alien?"

Lois slipped her hand into his for support, Clark didn't like that word, even though it was technically accurate. "They took me down to the storm cellar and showed me the ship I came to Earth in. They never told me I was an alien, they didn't like that word, they just told me I came from further away than most people."

The first hour was much the same, questions about Smallville, his parents and his early life. It wasn't until he was asked about deciding to become Superman that the questions got harder.

"It was my mother's idea," he explained, "I was concerned that if I started to help people and put criminals away I would make enemies and become a danger to those around me."

"But glasses?"

Clark chuckled. "It worked didn't it?" Even Lois smiled at that and Ralph laughed.

"It sure did, but personally, having worked beside you, or at least Clark, for almost twenty years, I have to say it was more than just a pair of glasses that separated you from Superman wasn't it?"

"Definitely," Clark agreed, "I slouched a bit to hide my height and I pretended to be a bit clumsier than usual to throw people off."

"So you're not really Clark Kent either- he was a disguise too?"

Clark shifted uncomfortably at that. "No, not really," he said slowly, "I _am_ Clark Kent, that's who I think of myself as when I get up in the morning. Maybe I'm not as clumsy as I seem but I've never tried to be someone else just because I was wearing glasses. Superman was more of a disguise than Clark."

"Then who's Superman? Are you saying he wasn't really _real_ at all?"

"Umm…" Clark was lost for words for the first time since the interview started. He didn't agree that Superman wasn't real but he couldn't deny that he was more of an act than Clark had ever been.

Lois broke her silence for the first time since the interview started. "Superman wasn't a lie, Ralph," she told him, "Clark is Superman as much as he is Clark," she said, repeating what she'd told her husband last night. "He still stands for all the same values, whether in glasses or a cape."

"Exactly." Clark nodded, unable to hide his admiration for his wife. He didn't know why people always thought he was the one to protect her, if Clark's mind she'd saved him a lot more times. "But Clark can have a family and a wife, it's dangerous for Superman to have those things."

Ralph made a few notes on his paper but his expression was hard to read. He'd seemed to share the feelings of most in the bullpen, and he was friends with Gil but so far he'd acted like it was just any other interview.

"So what gives you these powers then, flight and invulnerability and so on?"

"Umm," Clark found himself speechless again, not because of the difficulty of the question this time, but because he was certain he'd spent the last few decades answering that particular one.

"Look, Ralph," Lois broke in again, clearly thinking the same thing, "I'll bet half of those questions, especially from the other papers and stations, have already been answered in previous interviews that the _Planet _has on file. Save yourself some trouble and only ask us questions that actually need an answer."

"So you're saying we can consider all the information given by Clark Kent as Superman to contain accurate information?" Ralph asked, raising his eyebrow in a way that Clark knew meant the question was a trap.

"Yes," he answered warily.

"Including the parts where you claimed: 'I don't lie' and 'I can't have children'?" Ralph asked, smiling triumphantly when he saw he had them.

Lois made an annoyed sound, almost a low growl, beside him but Clark knew she was just angry at herself for not anticipating it. Clark had seen Lois pull similar trick more times than he could count, and he was torn between annoyance at his integrity being questioned and amusement at a well played question by Ralph.

"Ralph, answer me this," Clark stepped in, placing a hand on Lois' elbow in case she decided to attack. "When do you believe I outright _lied _to the public or the media. And before you say it," he added quickly, "at the time I said I couldn't have children I believed it to be the honest truth."

"And before that talk goes any further, and you know what I'm talking about," Lois warned Ralph, "_all_ of my children are also Clark's children and yes, that means they're half-kryptonian and have or will have all his powers."

"Believe me Lois, I think their outing last night proved that," Ralph assured her, catching Lois off-guard with his sincere tone. He sighed, "look, I've always kinda liked you two," he admitted, "I do feel a bit stupid for not seeing _that_-" he waved a hand and Clark's spectacle-free face- "but I'm nowhere near as angry as Gil. But that doesn't mean I don't need to get this interview done," he said, his tone changing back to that of a reporter as he reminded them why they were here.

"Fair enough," Lois agreed, "but you still haven't answered my husband's question. When did he ever lie to you?"

"How about when he claimed not to be involved with you?" Ralph asked.

Lois glared again but Clark was just surprised it had taken him so long to get to that point. "Okay, I'll admit to lying about that," he agreed, realizing he may have been too quick to claim he'd never outright lied but Lois was not so lenient.

"You don't have to admit to it," she snapped, "Clark married me in public and he wears his wedding ring for everyone to see. He's never lied about that."

"But Clark's also Superman and Superman has consistently denied having any sort of romantic relationship with you." Ralph's tone still wasn't angry or accusing like many Clark could hear in the bullpen.

"Lois gets herself into enough trouble as it is," Clark answered quickly before Lois had a chance to, "she didn't need all the criminals of the world knowing how close we really are. And I do have six children to think of."

"Alright, let's talk about the kids then-"

"No," Clark interrupted firmly.

"Pardon?" Ralph asked and even Lois looked mildly surprised at the strength of Clark's voice.

"No," Clark repeated, "let's not talk about my children, this isn't about them. In fact, and you can quote me word-for-word here, my children are _off-limits. _I understand that people will have questions about them and what sort of abilities they have inherited from me but I will not discuss it without their express permission. I particularly ask that you leave Lucy, Ella and Chris alone, the other three are old enough to be considered adults and can talk to you if they so wish but if I hear they've been bothered or abused by the press I _will_ take action."

"Is that a threat?" Ralph asked, looking a little nervous.

"It's a promise," Lois answered him, "from both of us. If you've appreciated anything my husband's done for this world in the past few years, respect our wishes."

Ralph scribbled a few notes in silence and Clark wondered if anyone would actually listen to him. He'd been a journalist long enough to know that they could be ruthless.

"So you won't talk about them at all?"

Lois started to reply but Clark placed a hand on her arm, stopping her. Ho looked at Ralph, "I said I wouldn't talk about them without their permission, but you're about to get one better- they're here themselves," he only just had time to explain before the door to the conference room opened.

"Hey, Dad."

* * *

**A/N: **Next chapter we'll get to see what's up with Evelyn and Harvard before returning to the _Planet _but in the meantime, if you like my writing you may like to pay a visit to my bio page- there's a link there to a request post in my LJ. You can tell me what you'd like to see (you don't need to have an LJ either- anon comments are allowed) I also have polls there that I change regularly so check them out and vote! (currently you can vote for your fav Kent kid in this fic!). P.S. Thanks, Karoline- and I don't watch That 70s Show so coincidence?

Reviews are love!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: **_**Life As We Know It**_

* * *

Evelyn Jones was the middle child of five. It was part of the reason her and Jason got along so well, she understood what it was like to come from a large family. However there was a big difference between their families, while Jason flew down to Metropolis every week and was constantly calling his siblings and parents to catch up, Evelyn hadn't seen her older sister in two months and hadn't spoken to the rest of her family for almost half a year.

She hadn't been entirely sure how her sister would react when she showed up on her doorstep not ten minutes after the world had found out her future father-in-law was Superman. She was lucky she had been passing by when the news broke, she wasn't sure how interesting she'd be to the press but she had enough sense to know that their apartment would be surrounded. The fact that Superman's eldest son also lived there would be enough to draw the media like flies to honey.

So far her sister's apartment had remained media-free although several stations had called up to ask about Evelyn and Jason, luckily Nina, her sister, had enough sense to deny any knowledge of it. 'Jones' was a common name after all- the calls had stopped after about the fourth time Nina had told them they had the wrong Evelyn. However, despite Nina's protection of her sister, it seemed Evelyn was the only one who still liked Jason.

As soon as she had seen her sister at her door, Nina had called an emergency family meeting. Their parents had shown up almost immediately, followed by her younger brother Mitchell. Luckily, her younger sister and older brother lived in Europe so they weren't part of what could only be described as the night from hell.

Her father had spent the entire time at the table complaining loudly about how he'd 'always known that Kent boy was hiding something' and that Evelyn 'was right to leave him'. And he'd refused to listen to her, no matter how much she'd explained that she'd already known who his father was and that she hadn't left Jason at all.

"You're father's just looking out for you," her mother had said after the meal, "he only has to turn on the TV to see how bad this could get for you. Maybe you should consider breaking it off with Jason."

At which point Evelyn had given up on both her parents and tried her siblings. That had only gone slightly better. "Well, I kinda like him but you have to look at the facts here," Mitchell had explained, "he's Superman's _son_, and he's the one he abandoned for five years, he'll probably get the most attention. If you're with him you're going to be in the media."

Nina had pretty much the same idea. "Evie, we only want the best for you, and we're not sure that the best thing at the moment is to be involved in this."

After that she'd just gone straight to the guest room where she was staying and locked to door. Her cellphone had been ringing constantly with friends pretending to check if she was okay but most just wanting to know the full story. She had just ignored it for most of the night, instead trying to take her mind off her family by working on some projects for work, until she'd heard _Holding Out For A Hero_, Jason's personal ring tone playing.

The conversation had been shorter than she'd wanted but Jason had assured her everything was under control. Evelyn didn't believe that for a second but she hadn't wanted to argue. He'd asked her to stay somewhere safe and promised to visit her soon. She'd tried not to mention how her family had reacted but she had a feeling Jason had noticed it anyway.

Breakfast had been tense, Mitchell had gone home sometime after midnight but her parents had stayed. As soon as she had sat her father had launched straight into a list of people she could stay with and what she could do while she broke up with Jason and found a new apartment, clearly having given it far to much thought. Nina and her Mom had tried to keep the peace but Evelyn had ended up storming out of the kitchen before anyone had finished.

She had really hoped Jason would've shown up then, maybe they could've explained together why they didn't want to break up and stopped her father before he'd done something stupid.

Of course it was too late now.

"I'm so sorry, dear," her mother said for the hundredth time as they watched the TV, "he said he was only going out to get some milk."

"I have milk," Nina snapped at her mother as she put an arm around her sister. Even though she'd been on the side of Evelyn breaking it off with Jason even she never would have gone to the lengths her father had.

_"My daughter wants nothing to do with you," _her father snarled from the TV, in the CNN studios, _"do you hear me, _Jason Kent," she practically spat the name out, _"stay away from my daughter and leave my family alone."_

_"That was Mr. Henry Jones,"_ the anchor reappeared on screen, _"Mr. Jones came to our studio early this morning with a message from his daughter to Clark "Superman" Kent's oldest son-"_

"Bastard," Nina spat, apparently now firmly siding with her sister.

"Nina," their mother gasped, "don't speak that way about your father-"

"Mom, stop defending him," Nina yelled back, leaping off the couch, "I don't care how much he still blames Superman for his brother's death it gives him no right to-"

Evelyn blocked them out, placing her hands over her ears. She knew her father had issues with Superman, his brother had died in a fire two years ago and he blamed the Man of Steel. Evelyn had always thought it was stupid to blame someone for their absence, but she understood his need to do so. He'd often made comments about how much he disliked Superman, often unknowingly in front of his son. He'd even once gone on some sort of protest rally but she wasn't sure if she could ever forgive him for _this_.

She came back to herself as Nina placed a hand on her shoulder again. Her mother had left the room and Evelyn knew it hadn't been a pleasant departure. "You okay?" Nina asked softly.

"I'm fine," she sniffed, realizing for the first time she was crying. She wasn't surprised, what her father had done had hurt deeply, even if she was still mostly in shock.

"Jason won't listen to him," Nina assured her, "he's smarter than that."

Evelyn nodded, she hadn't been concerned about that at all but it was nice to know her sister was supporting her even if her parents weren't. "We're engaged," she said softly, she hadn't wanted to tell anyone until then, especially not her father, but it just slipped out.

"That's great!" Nina cried, sounding genuinely happy for her which brought up Evelyn's spirits somewhat. "I can't believe-" she broke of suddenly with a small "oh"

"Evie?" Jason's voice asked softly. She looked up to see him standing by the open window.

Without a second's thought she flung herself into his arms. "Thanks god you're here," she gasped, relaxing into his arms as he held her. Somewhere behind her she heard Nina leave the room but she didn't pay any attention. "Did you see the news?" she asked suddenly, "it's not true, I still love you."

"That's good," Jason said with a small smile, "because I still love you too, and it'd be pretty bad if we got married when we didn't," he joked, trying to cheer her up.

She didn't say anything and after a moment he spoke again. "I saw the news," he said softly, "on my way over. You're Dad really doesn't like me does he?"

Evelyn sighed. "No," she told him, "you know he still blames Superman for not saving his brother, and apparently he's decided you can be to blame as well."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"No," she admitted, knowing he'd be listening to her heartbeat and could tell if she lied, not that she wanted to lie to him anyway, "he's my Dad," she tried to explain, "he's supposed to support me no matter what, not decide I can't marry you just because he holds a ridiculous grudge against your father. I really hate him for this," she sighed.

Jason was silent for a moment. "Can I take you somewhere?" he asked, in the way that meant, somewhere only he could take her.

"Please," she said, stepping onto his shoes and feeling the familiar thrill as the world spun into a blur of color before coalescing into a truly amazing view of the world above the clouds.

Evelyn sighed and took a moment to admire the view before asking, "any particular reason we're up here? Because this is old hat by now if you were just trying to impress me."

Jason shrugged. "I'm taking a leaf out of my Dad's book," he admitted, "this is something he used to do with us kids when it seemed like everything was out of control. See, there." He pointed off into the distance and Evelyn squinted her eyes to make out a V of birds flying past.

"What am I looking at?" she asked after a moment.

"Life," Jason replied simply, "because we have to remember no matter how bad things get, it goes on. The world keeps turning, the birds keep flying. You did notice the sun rose today despite everything going on?" he asked seriously and Evelyn found herself laughing.

They stayed up there for a long time, just enjoying the view and, for Evelyn at least, the silence. "I have to go," Jason sighed after some time, pulling her closer as she shivered in the cold. "Dad's doing an interview at the _Planet_ and I really wanted to be there for him, but I had to see you first."

"Ah," Evelyn nodded, "the inevitable choice between your fiancée and your family," she sighed.

"You know," Jason told her, hearing what she'd really said, "no matter how your Dad feels about me, I'll never ask you to choose between me and them."

"I know you wouldn't," Evelyn assured him as they descended, "I know what my father did seems pretty unforgivable but they're my _family_, Jason, I know were not as close as yours but I can't just cut them off. And I'm not going to leave you either."

"So what are we going to do?" Jason asked.

"I don't know," his fiancée sighed, "but we'll figure this out."

* * *

_"-and returning now to the one piece information that has everyone talking. His _kids_."_

_"That's right, Ford," _the voices on the TV caught Danielle Green's attention as she walked back into the living room, _"Superman, aka Clark Kent, has _six _children. And as we saw last night, there's no denying they're his."_

The image changed to show her roommate, Sophie, effortlessly carrying an elderly man out of a flaming building and delivering him to the medics before shooting off into the sky. The camera tried to follow her but she moved too fast.

Dani switched it off as the phone rang for the third time in as many minutes. "Tag," she said brightly as she picked it up.

_"Pardon?" _asked a confused voice on the other end, _"Um, I'm looking for Sophie Kent, is she-"_

"Entschuldigung," Dani interrupted, "Sprechst du Deutsch?"

_"Er… sorry," _the caller apologized, _"Wrong number."_

Dani grinned as she threw it back on the couch and started on the cold pizza that was her breakfast. It probably would have been easier to just leave it off the hook, but not nearly as much fun. So far she'd been a confused German three times, she wished she'd thought of it when the news stations had been calling instead of just denying all knowledge and hanging up.

There had been several knocks on the door which she'd ignored, and one attempt to pick the lock which had stopped after she'd yelled through the door and threatened to call the police.

Her e-mail inbox was full, including a message from Harvard informing all students that classes were still running as normal. Dani had found it a little odd that they felt the need to tell everyone it was business as usual and that what had happened yesterday had been no big deal. It sounded to her as if the admin thought it was a huge deal- or else they wouldn't have said anything unless something _hadn't_ been business as usual.

"What are you doing here?" a voice behind her asked, startling her so much she fell off the couch.

"Holy crap," she yelled, screaming up to see who it was and relaxing as she saw her roommate Sophie. "Jeez, you scared me," she laughed nervously, putting a hand over her still pounding heart.

"What are you doing here?" Sophie repeated, stepping off the window sill and closing the window. "I thought I told you to go somewhere else."

"You did." Dani nodded. "But I called Phil to say I was coming and this other girl picked up asking why I wanted to speak to her boyfriend so I told her she could shove it and hung up."

"Wow, you have such a way with people," Sophie muttered, rolling her eyes. She wasn't really surprised Dani hadn't left, the girl always wanted to be where the action was. Even though Sophie could tell she wasn't lying she doubted Dani had tried too hard to find somewhere else to go.

"So how's the family?" Dani asked brightly.

"Fine, but the reason I'm here is because I heard from my next-door neighbor that I was getting kicked out so I'd rather talk about that."

"Fair enough," Dani agreed, before launching straight into the explanation, "So here's the deal, you're _not _getting kicked out."

"Oh, thank god," Sophie sighed, she'd thought Kathy may have been exaggerating but it was nice to have it confirmed.

"I wouldn't relax just yet," Dani warned, " You may not be out just yet but there are some problems. Apparently seen as you can like, fly and crap, people are assuming you have the super-hearing and super-seeing, right?" Dani asked her.

"You mean X-ray vision?"

"Yeah, whatever. Well, it seems some people now think your high marks are not a result of just being smart and studying."

Sophie felt her jaw drop as she realized what her roommate was implying. "They think I cheated?"

Dani shrugged apologetically. "Don't shoot the messenger, I think some are just jealous you got a scholarship as well."

"Oh my god." Sophie buried her head in her hands, now feeling thoroughly sick. "I could lose the scholarship," she realized, "if I'm accused of cheating… I didn't," she said suddenly, looking up to study Dani's face. If her best friend thought she'd cheated what hope was there of convincing the board?

"Don't worry," Dani assured her, "believe me, I know you would _never_ cheat. Besides, you're fourth in the class, if you really could cheat why not go for first?"

"I'd at least be beating you," Sophie agreed, making Dani laugh.

"Yeah, right, superpowers or no I'd love to see you knock me off second." She grinned.

"Hey, I've been second," Sophie reminded her, relaxing slightly at the familiarity of teasing her best friend.

"Oh, only because I broke my leg and spent the day of a pop quiz in hospital. I guess that would never happen to you though," she shot back.

Sophie felt as if she'd just been pulled sharply back to Earth. She looked at Dani carefully for a moment before commenting, "You're still being remarkably calm about this. I mean, you just found out your best friend is an alien hybrid who can fly and will never get hurt and your reponse is… well-" she waved a hand at her relaxed and remarkably unflustered roommate "-_this_?" she completed.

Dani just shrugged. "I wasn't aware there was a certain way I was supposed to react," she said with a frown, "I mean, is there some sort of handbook on appropriate ways to respond when you find out your roommate is a superhero?"

"So you're not angry about the fact that I didn't tell you?" she pressed. She wasn't sure why she was so desperate to get Dani to admit she was angry, but she was sure she was.

"Look, I'm not angry at you," Dani said firmly, "so stop trying to get me to say that. I'm a little hurt you felt you had to hide all these cool things you can do, but angry? No."

"But why?" Sophie asked again. In her experience everyone was angry when they found out, Jason had told her stories of Lois' month-long rage when she'd found out. Her mother frequently told them about how pissed off Uncle Jimmy had been when told and she recalled only this morning Mr. Taylor's cold anger towards them.

Sophie had to admit Danielle Green was one of those people who could see a pig fly and only react with a shrug. But to see her this calm over something so big was a little unbelievable. "I honestly don't know," Dani continued, "I guess it's just 'cause I can see why you did it. I mean, why your Dad did it, if you'd been a superhero before like he is and not told me, I'd probably be pissed. But-" she shrugged "-your Dad has a lot of enemies and he just wanted to protect you guys. I can't really blame you for, one: not telling me something that was your _Dad's_ secret and two: not telling me something that could endanger the lives of your brothers and sisters."

"And Mom," Sophie added.

"No, I'm pretty sure your Mom can take care of herself." Dani grinned at Sophie and it only took a moment before the two of them were in fits of laughter.

It felt good to get rid of the stresses of the day with her friend, Sophie thought, but it wasn't long before she had to pull herself back into the present. "I have to go talk to the Dean." She sighed, "Do you have any idea who made the complaint?"

Dani shrugged. "Not yet, but I can think of a few. Someone with connections, I mean people have been calling the news stations with since the news broke, the phone lines are jammed. According to Phil though, for all the stories about you lot coming in, hardly _any_ make it on the air. But this one, the press got a hold of it as soon as it was filed, it's been on the news all night."

Sophie nodded, "Then I'm guessing it was probably someone who really doesn't like me. It was someone who was just genuinely concerned I'd been abusing my powers they wouldn't have gone into so much trouble. But I should probably focus more on proving I didn't cheat than worry about who thought I did."

Dani nodded but she had a frown on her face. "Soph, I don't mean to be a downer here but how exactly are you going to prove you didn't? It's not like you can prove you weren't listening or using your eyes."

"I don't know," Sophie admitted, "but the reason I'm becoming a lawyer is so I can fight for the truth. And this is one case I can't afford to lose."

* * *

**A/N: **Yup, at the bottom today because… well it just is okay. Before anyone asks: Evelyn's Dad- just trust me, it will make sense. The poll on my bio page is still open as is the request post at my LJ, you don't need an account. This offer is not restricted to _Revelations_ btw, if you read _any _of my other 'verses or stories feel free to ask about them (I kinda want someone to challenge my on the Timestamp meme). Also, it was my birthday yesterday and you what's a great present? (you do but I'll say it anyway) Reviews! (And, if 13 more people review I can get to 100! (that's less than a ¼ of people who have this on their alerts btw (are you shamed into reviewing yet? (how 'bout now? (Okay, I'll stop before the A/N gets longer than the chapter :P)))))

But seriously… Reviews are love!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Sorry I'm so late- I got a little bogged down in this thing we call 'real life' for a while and didn't really have much time to write (esp. seen as this chapter was a very tricky one to get right- if I even managed that). But I'm back so yay! Although I had great difficulty getting this chapter to you- wouldn't take the file so eventually I just had to copy and paste this into another doc I had already uploaded then post it like that *headdesk* the things I do for you people *sigh*. Anywho, enjoy :D **PS**- you may have gotten two alerts for this, my bad- I had to take it down to fix something, sorry. (if you didn't just ignore that... yeah, I totally didn't screw up).

**Chapter Ten: _The Same, But Different_**

* * *

"And remember, if _anything_ happens, I'll be listening okay? So just call," Dean instructed his younger brother.

Chris glanced up at his sisters in the corner of the office, looking at him worriedly and then to his principal Mr. Randall who gave him an encouraging smile.

"Okay," he said, turning back to Dean and smiling somewhat nervously. He had woken up this morning feeling like any other morning, despite the big news yesterday, but now the way his usually quiet and calm big brother was acting was making him almost scared.

"Don't worry Mr. Kent," the principal assured him, "I've called in extra security to keep the cameras away and all the teachers have been told to contact police if they think any of the kids are in danger."

"Thank you," Dean nodded to Mr. Randall. "And you just try and have a good day," he told Chris, ruffling his hair, before leaving with Lucy and Ella.

"Well, off to class then, Christopher," Mr. Randall said as if it was any other morning and they hadn't just been discussing how to stop paparazzi from getting into the school.

Chris wasn't about to argue- he just wanted to see his friends and get back to normal. "Bye, Mr. Randall."

He hurried to class, even though Mr. Randall had given him a note, Miss Dally always glared when someone was tardy. He slipped in just as the bell rang and hurried over to table 4, noticing a few more empty seats than normal.

"Where's Jane?" he asked as he realized one of the vacant seats was at his table.

Tommy shrugged. "She's probably sick."

"No she's not," LaTanya whispered, leaning over the table conspiringly. Her friends leaned closer to hear as Miss Dally began the roll-call. "Her Mom called mine last night and asked if I was coming today. Jane had to stay home because _her_ Mom doesn't want her coming with all the cameras."

"Yeah but Chris came and they're here because of him," Tommy pointed out.

"Yeah," LaTanya nodded and Chris started to feel uncomfortable as they both turned to look at him. "Because everyone thinks your Dad's Superman."

"Is he?" Tommy asked excitedly.

But before Chris could say anything Miss Dally interrupted, "Table 4, do you have something to share with the class?"

"No, Miss Dally," LaTanya and Chris chorused but Tommy wasn't about to let his question go unanswered.

"I was asking Chris if his Dad really was Superman in glasses," he explained.

"My Mom thinks it's just a hoax," LaTanya spoke up.

"What's a hoax?" someone from table 1 asked.

"That Chris's Dad is really Superman," another voice called back.

"No, what does 'hoax' _mean_?" the other voice called back. Miss Dally frowned but suddenly the questions were coming think and fast.

"Chris, can you fly?"

"Can you do that thing with your eyes?"

"Do you have your own cape?"

"Did your Mom know your Dad was Superman?"

"_Quiet_," Miss Dally's voice cut sharply though onslaught and silenced the curious seven year olds immediately. Miss Dally hardly ever raised her voice but when she did the children knew it was serious.

The young teacher returned to the front of the class and sighed. "I know you're all excited about all the cameras outside and that Chris's Dad was on the news last night but that is no excuse to forget our manners." She swept her eyes across the room and several of the kids looked away in shame.

"Good." She nodded when no one said anything. "Now, there may be cameras outside but today is a _school_ day and, like any other school day, we have school_work_ to do. Now everyone get out your books, please."

The class groaned as they pulled out their pencils and exercise books but Chris could still feel them looking at him. He wished he had his Dad's hearing so he knew what they were all muttering about.

Miss Dally was wrong, Chris knew that today definitely wasn't like any other day. Things might still be the same but in an odd way they were very different.

* * *

Lucy couldn't help feeling a thrill as they flew high over the school gates and she saw the flashing cameras and media gathered outside. And all because of _her_- well, her and Ella, but looking at her sister's expression Lucy could tell she was the only one excited about it.

She frowned at her sister as Dean took them down. Her expression wasn't just upset or annoyed it was something else that Lucy couldn't make out. She shook her head as they landed, Ella had always acted odd about their Dad's 'secret identity' thing but Lucy never really paid it much attention- maybe she should have. It might explain why her sister was being so mean to everyone all of a sudden.

"Well, I'd better be going," she chirped brightly when it became evident they weren't going to get the same welcoming party of the principal and security guards that Chris had. "Have a good day," she said , kissing Dean on the cheek, "Thanks for the lift." She turned and ran into the buildings, using only a slight burst of super-speed to get her to class quicker, trying to get away from Dean and Ella quickly.

Lucy may have been Ella's twin- but if anyone was capable of finding out what was eating her sister- it was Dean. She only hoped he realized that himself.

* * *

Lucy didn't need to worry.

"Do you want to talk?" Dean asked Ella when she made no move to follow her sister.

"No," she snapped, "I don't want to _talk_, I just want to go to class," she said firmly but a moment later she found herself standing in the same spot.

"C'mon," Dean sighed, grabbing her around the waist and shooting up into the branches of a tall tree at the other end of the field. He set them down in the top branches, hidden from the ground and prying eyes. Ella had had her speed from the time she was eleven so saw clearly what was happening rather than an incomprehensible blur, however it still took her by surprise.

"Dean!" She shrieked, pushing herself away from him and clinging to a branch behind her. "What are you doing?"

"Taking us somewhere you can talk," her brother explained simply, leaning casually against the trunk.

"I _said_ I don't want to talk." Ella glared at him. "Take me back now," she ordered, but even to her the words sounded weak.

"Ella, there's nothing stopping you," Dean pointed out.

"I can't fly yet, remember?" Ella rolled her eyes.

"Nothing's going to hurt you if you jump," Dean said gently, "you could even just climb down at super-speed If you really wanted to leave you would have already." Ella put her arms around herself an refused to look at him. "Ellie," Dean sighed, "I don't like seeing you unhappy, please tell me what's wrong."

Ella looked at him for a long moment, she hated it when he was right. Finally she sighed. "Every time I think I know you…" she muttered, shaking her head, "You know, talking about feelings and crap like that is something I'd expect from Jason, not you," she said, making Dean laugh.

"I think Jase has his own problems to deal with at the moment," he told her, "and clearly you're dealing with something as well."

Ella sighed and stared at the ground, she half-hoped that if she closed her eyes tight enough when she opened them the world would be back to normal. _Normal_ she thought as tears sprang into her eyes _now there's a joke_. She looked back up at Dean who was still standing across from her with that ridiculously patient expression on his face.

"Ella?" Dean asked when he saw she was crying, he actually sounded concerned. Ella couldn't really blame him- the last time she'd let anyone see her cry had been at her fifth birthday when Lucy had blown out all the candles by herself- they'd had separate parties ever since. "Are you okay?"

"No," Ella sobbed, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "Why would I be okay?" she asked, her voice rising in tone, "Why in the _hell_ would I be okay after a day like yesterday?" she yelled at him, feeling all the stress of yesterday bursting out towards her brother. "Do you know, I looked up the internet last night and I already have my own Wikipedia page, and you know what it says?"

Dean remained silent as she continued. "It said: 'Eleanor Kent is the youngest daughter of Clark and Lois Kent and the fifth possible Kryptonian-human child' then at the top it's got one of those 'this is a developing story' things.

"Don't you see what this means?" she asked, glaring at him when he remained silent. She loved Dean, she really did but sometimes he could be so dense.

Ella continued to glare at him through her tears, she was so upset she could barely talk, she tried to get herself under control as Dean frowned in confusion over the sudden outburst.

"Is it because they only said _possible_ Kryptonian-human?" he asked, "El, it doesn't matter what the internet says. I think the fact that you got run over by a tractor when you were eleven and came out unharmed is proof enough you're Superman's daughter. And you know as well as I do Mom would never cheat on Dad so -"

"It's not _that_," Ella cried, stamping her foot so hard she felt the branch crack below her. She adjusted her weight as she continued, "It's nothing to do with that- except kinda-" she corrected herself, stumbling over her words. "But I don't want to tell you," she said, wiping her tears, "you wouldn't understand." None of her siblings would understand, she realized suddenly. And she certainly couldn't risk what she had to say getting back to her father, it would hurt him too much and, contrary to her behavior last night and that morning, that was the last thing Ella wanted.

"I can listen," he offered, clearly not dissuaded. If her sudden interruption and babbling about what she'd read on the internet had confused him he didn't show it, "I'm a good listener."

"I'm going to be late to class," Ella said, changing the subject suddenly. The sick feeling in her stomach that had persisted since her Dad had picked her and Lucy up from school was still there and growing tighter but the last people she wanted to tell were her brothers and sisters.

It wasn't that she didn't like talking to them, she was always shocked when her friends said they hated their siblings. Sure her family fought, all families did, but they would always stick together when times got tough. And Dean was a really good listener. She looked towards the school gates, still packed with cameras and lights and realized times probably wouldn't get much worse than this.

She sighed. "Dean?" she said softly, feeling strangely calm now even though her cheeks were still stained with her tears. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell Mom or Dad, okay? _Especially_ not Dad," she warned.

"I promise," Dean replied without hesitation. Ella had no doubt he meant it, Dean, like all men, had his flaws, but breaking a promise was not one of them. Especially not to a family member.

Ella nodded. "Good," she said quietly. She took a few shaky breaths and looked behind her, narrowing her eyes slightly until the walls of the school dissolved and she could see right into her first class. Kim was looking from Lucy to Ella's empty chair and back, clearly wondering where her friend was.

Lucy seemed to be holding court in the classroom, with most of the students ignoring the lesson, which had started a while ago, and instead focusing on her sister. Ella withdrew her vision and looked back at her brother. "Do you know what Lucy said just before Jason came to get us?" she asked, "she said she was happy everyone knew because now she'd get to be famous."

Dean smiled but didn't comment, Ella rolled her eyes, Lucy had been making herself the center of attention from the moment she was born. Her reaction hadn't really come as too much of a shock. "But you know what else this means? It means everyone knows we're not human. Everyone knows I'm a half-breed," she muttered bitterly.

"Pardon?" Dean asked, looking shocked. Ella felt a brief, somewhat inappropriate flare of triumph- not many things could surprise her brother.

But the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach quickly returned as she tried to explain. "I'm sorry," she said, almost wishing she could take back the words, "but I never felt like I could say anything- I mean you guys are the same and if I told you…" she trailed off as Dean frowned at her.

"What _are_ you telling me?" he asked, still looking rather thrown by her statement. "That you're _ashamed_ of being Kryptonian or something?" he asked with a slight laugh, as if it was ridiculous to even contemplate.

"Don't laugh at me," Ella snapped, glaring at him and trying to fight back more tears.

"I'm not…" Dean trailed off before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but what are you saying?"

Ella looked away, the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach growing, she hoped she didn't throw up. "I just…" she sighed, trying to find the right words, "The thing is, Mom's fully human, like 6 billion others on the planet, and Dad's fully Kryptonian. But we're not either of those- we're just stupid half-breeds."

"Half-breeds? Ella, no one has ever called us that," he assured her.

"We'll thanks to Dad's stupidity they will now, won't they?" She continued to glare at him, daring him to disagree.

Dean frowned, he wasn't naive enough to think everyone would just accept them as hybrids of two species. "Well…" he said slowly, "I _guess_ I can see how you could feel that way about what you- we- are. Wait-" he looked up suddenly "-is that why you're always so reluctant to use your powers?" Dean's eyes widened in realization and Ella shrugged.

"Kinda," she admitted, wishing he would stop staring so intently at her. "Stop looking at me like that," she snapped, getting annoyed with him now.

"Like what?"

"Like-" Ella shook her head, trying to pin-point exactly what was bugging her- "Like I'm a stranger. Like I've just told you I was adopted or something. Like you don't even know me."

"Well I almost feel like I don't," Dean said, turning away to look towards the school, "how long have you felt like this?"

Ella shrugged, trying to remember the first time she'd known she wasn't the same as her friends. "A while."

"A _while_?" Dean turned back to gape at her again and Ella was staring to feel uneasy. She had been hoping Dean would handle this with the same calm and understanding way he handled everything in life but apparently she was mistaken. "I've never- Why didn't you tell anyone before?" Dean asked.

Ella shifted uncomfortably. "How was I supposed to tell you I'm ashamed of what I am when you're the same?" she asked quietly, "how was I supposed to tell Dad that I didn't like him being a part of me?"

"You're ashamed of _him_?" Dean asked quietly, looking at her like she was crazy. "Ellie-"

"No!" Ella protested, "I _love_ Dad, I don't care where he comes from," she told him, trying desperately to make him understand. "But even he walked around for years _pretending_ to be a human- to be normal. What was I supposed to think? And I'll- we'll- never be normal," she explained, "we're not human and we're not Kryptonian either, we don't fit anywhere and now, thanks to him, we can't even pretend."

"Ella I don't understand." Dean looked at a complete loss, his normally stoic demeanor had completely dropped, replaced with an expression of utter disbelief.

"I know," she muttered bitterly, "that's why I didn't want to say anything." She shook her head and tried once more to explain. "Dean, don't you get it? Dad doesn't think it's normal either, why else would he have a secret identity? He _wants_ to be human." Even as Ella said the words she knew deep down they weren't entirely true. But she could help it, she had to explain why she felt this way, she had to stop someone she'd known her whole life from looking at her like she was a stranger.

"But…" Dean shook his head as he gaped at her. "That's not… that's not why he wanted to keep it a secret at all, Ella-"

"I knew I shouldn't have told you," she interrupted. "I told you I didn't want to talk, you should have just let me go to class." Dean didn't try and stop her as she leapt out of the tree, falling gracefully to the ground and landing with a small thud. She looked up to where she could see her shocked brother leaning against the trunk. "You promised," she reminded him before sprinting across the field so fast she was almost invisible to the onlookers and the few that did notice something amiss shrugged it off as a trick of the light.

Dean remained in the tree a moment longer, before shooting into the sky and heading toward the _Daily Planet_. He'd promised not to mention anything to their parents but Ella hadn't said anything about the others, and Dean knew he'd need all the help he could get if he was going to make his sister see how wrong she was.

* * *

**A/N:** Told you Ella had issues :P and if that up there didn't make too much sense then you'll just have to keep reading to find out more- I can't give it _all_ away in one chapter now can I? The rest of the interview _next_ chapter, I promise- and hopefully with much less of a wait. In the meantime though, anyone want to help out? I thought it might be fun to make it a little interactive- so if you have any good questions for Ralph to ask Lois, Clark or the kids send them in a review or PM me. You'll get a mention at the end of the next chapter but in-story it'll all be Ralph, sorry :P

Reviews are love!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: **_**…To Talk Of Many Things**_

* * *

Jason frowned as he squinted through the clouds to the roof of the _Daily Planet_. While most of the reporters appeared to have gone downstairs, probably when Clark and Lois had arrived, some still lingered underneath the shadow of the globe. Maybe they had heard he was supposed to be showing up.

Jason wasn't self-centered or arrogant by any means but even he knew of all his parents' children he would be the most analyzed and talked about. The fact that Superman hadn't been present for the first years of his son's life was bound to raise 'abandonment' questions.

Jason knew that it would take at least _his_ testimony on Clark's worthiness as a father to properly quell any outrage at the world's beloved hero being a deadbeat dad. Which meant he really should get to the bullpen as soon as possible to make sure he got his say in the biggest story since Superman's appearance.

Yet he remained hovering just about the clouds, desperately hoping something, _anything_ would happen to delay it even a moment longer.

His prayers were answered a second later by a sarcastically bright voice behind him, "Hey, Jase, funny meeting you up here. So how's _your_ morning been?"

"Oh, just brilliant," he replied in the same falsely bright tone as Sophie came to hover next to him. "My future father-in-law thinks Superman killed his brother and now loathes me so much he's willing to go on TV and order his daughter away from me. This is the best day I've had in a long time."

Sophie nodded sympathetically, dropping the act. "Yeah, I saw that, how's Evie taking it?"

Jason shrugged. "About as well as can be expected," he sighed, "she says she still wants to marry me but it's not like I can ask her to give up her family for me."

Sophie nodded before surprising him by putting her arms around him and pulling him into a mid-air hug. Jason was shocked for a few moments before returning it gladly. Sophie hadn't hugged him like this since they were little kids, professing in middle school that she was too old for such things. Jason had been a little saddened as Sophie had always been a little special to him as his first sibling. Then of course he'd decided hugging your sister wasn't very cool either and the matter had been dropped.

Now suddenly, he was ten years old again and his little sister was clinging to him in fear of the monsters in her closet and he was trying to assure her they didn't exist. Except this time they were very real and Jason was scared too.

"We'll get through this," Sophie told him, pulling away and trying to wipe her eyes without him seeing.

"I know," Jason lied, pretending not to notice. "But, hey, don't make this all about me, how are you? What's going on with Harvard- the news said you were getting kicked out."

Sophie shrugged. "I'm not out yet," she said with a heavy sigh, "but there's been an accusation of cheating against me because of… you know," she muttered with a half-shrug, "they think I've somehow been using my abilities to look at other papers or something."

Jason looked at her in shock. "They can't do that can they? Last I heard 'just because they have the ability too' wasn't a very good reason."

Sophie sighed heavily, "There's evidence," she muttered, looking away.

Jason felt a weird sinking feeling in his stomach as his sister didn't make eye contact. "Soph, you didn't-"

"_What?_" Sophie's head whipped around and she glared so angrily at him her eyes glowed red with barely constrained rage-induced heat-vision. "You actually think I _cheated_?"

Had he been on solid ground Jason probably would've taken a step back at her sudden change in temper. "Whoa," he floated a few feet back and held up his hands, "Soph, I never said-"

"Yes, you did!" she snapped, "I can't believe you're on their side."

"I'm not," Jason assured her quickly, "but when you said they had more evidence you just looked a little… _worried_," he tried to explain.

"Oh," Sophie deflated so suddenly Jason wondered if their was such a thing as emotional whiplash. "That. No, I'm not worried about all the _evidence_ they claim to have- I went to see the Dean after talking to Dani and I'm pretty sure I can defend myself well enough and get the accusation thrown away. But it the meantime I'm on academic suspension and the scholarship people called me to say they were suspending my funding indefinitely." She shook her head, turning away from Jason again and wiping her eyes. "I might lose the scholarship entirely," she whispered quietly, "so it's not going to matter if they do kick me out- I won't be able to go anyway."

"Can they take it away if it's not proven though?" Jason asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, still not looking at him. "It's a private scholarship and apparently even the accusation is a bad look."

"Look," Jason tried to sound strong for her like he remembered his Dad doing countless times in their childhood, "even if you do lose your scholarship it in no way means you have to leave Harvard. You can just do what everyone else does and borrow the money, get a loan. It's not the end of the world."

Sophie didn't say anything for quite a while but eventually she nodded and when she turned back to face him her eyes were dry. "You know we have to go down there sometime," she reminded him, her tone indicating the money matter was closed for now. "We can't wait for Dean forever- besides, he's a big boy, he can join us we he's ready."

"I guess," Jason sighed, looking down again at the mass of reporters swarming in the streets. Somehow word had gotten out the Clark 'Superman' Kent had arrived it the building and there was speculation about what he was doing in there. Most had got it right and were telling their viewers he was giving an interview, but some were convinced he was just going to work or that he was being fired by Perry for not telling him who he was.

"Well?" Sophie raised her eyebrows at him, looking rather amused by his procrastinating. "Are we going or not?"

"Nothing stopping you," he muttered, not realizing just how reluctant he was until he heard the rather childish words come out of his mouth.

Sophie grinned challengingly at him and without warning flipped upside down and plunged through the clouds. Jason followed a split-second later but it wasn't soon enough and Sophie touched down on the roof an instant before him. "I win," she announced smugly before both became aware of the sudden hush that followed their arrival.

"C'mon," Sophie called, pointedly ignoring the stares of the reporters, several of whom had been frequent babysitters of her and her sibling in the past.

The way they were all staring at the pair was making Jason uncomfortable, like they were strangers or worse, some sort of freaks. He quickly followed his sister to the elevator, ignoring the stares. He couldn't really blame them though- he supposed he'd probably act much the same way if someone he knew suddenly revealed a huge secret like this.

"So how do you think this is going to work?" Jason asked, trying to ignore the knot in his stomach.

Sophie just shrugged, her eyes fixed on the changing floor numbers. "No idea, they might do us separately or all together. How do Mom and Dad do it?"

Jason frowned. "I don't think Mom and Dad have ever had to interview a whole _family_ before. I have no idea how it's going to work."

"Well you've done group interviews before, right?" Sophie asked, apparently determined to get at least some idea of what they were going to face.

Jason shrugged. "I've done them with Kate and Tristan to promote _BreakOut _but the subject matter and purpose of those interviews was significantly lighter."

"Fair enough," Sophie sighed, looking like she wanted to ask more but she wasn't given the chance to as the elevator doors opened onto the bullpen.

They stepped out together and Jason found himself relaxing slightly as the familiar chaos he'd grown up in washed over him. So long as he let the conversations blur into incomprehensible noise and closed his eyes so he couldn't see any TV screens he could almost pretend it was just another day at the _Planet._

It didn't last of course. "Jason, Sophie, I thought you guys might show up." Jason opened his eyes as his Uncle Jimmy's voice carried over the desks, but most of the other reporters seemed so involved in what they were doing hardly any noticed the pair.

"Hey, Uncle Jimmy," Sophie greeted him as she lead the way to his desk, "busy day?" she asked with a grin.

Jimmy shrugged, "So-so," he laughed, "I'm actually on a bit of a trip down memory lane myself," he told them, swiveling his computer screen to they could see the images on it.

The first Jason recognized as his parents' wedding, his five-year-old self standing proudly beside them holding the rings. The one right next to it was from only a few hours later and pictured Superman holding a small girl covered in soot and ash as he delivered her into the care of EMTs after pulling her from a burning building.

"The Chief wants a whole series like this," he explained, "Clark on one side and Superman on the other, the closer in time the better. We're running a special issue on this."

"Um, cool," Sophie said, apparently unsure how to respond properly. "You wouldn't happen to know where Mom and Dad are though would you?"

"Conference Room A," Jimmy told them, "but I think the Chief wanted to interview Jason separately at least, because of … well you know," he trailed doff awkwardly, looking intensely at his screen, apparently examining a small spot on Lois' veil.

"Thanks, Uncle Jimmy." Jason nodded and raise an eyebrow at Sophie who shrugged.

"Better now than never," she replied to his unspoken question.

He could hear his Dad talking before they even opened the door.

"I said I wouldn't talk about them without their permission, but you're about to get one better- they're here themselves."

Sophie pushed open the door and smiled, "Hey, Dad." She smiled nervously, pulling Jason in behind her when he hesitated. "Hey, Mom how's it going?"

"Jason, Sophie," Ralph interjected before Lois or Clark could reply, "I was hoping you'd join us. Mr. White actually seemed rather certain you would. He wanted to interview you guys separately."

"He did, did he?" Lois asked, narrowing her eyes at Ralph who wisely avoided her gaze as he directed Sophie and Jason to the reporters assigned to each of them.

"I'd prefer to give a separate one," Jason told his parents before he moved, realizing it was true even though he hadn't known it until then. "I just think it'd be easier," he explained, looking at his sister, who just shrugged.

"I don't mind."

"Well, I still have a few more questions to ask you two," Ralph told Lois and Clark, looking down at his pad. "And I've never found group interviews to be as productive a smaller or individual ones."

"Okay," Clark agreed, looking at his two oldest children. "If that's what you want." Both Jason and Sophie nodded so he continued. "Just relax and be honest then."

"And remember, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to," Lois added, sending another glare at Ralph.

"Alright then." Jason nodded. "See you soon." _And Good Luck_ he added silently.

"Look," Ralph said once the kids had left the room, "I know you said you don't want to talk about them but you are going to have to at some point. They proved last night they inherited more from you than your eyes," he told Clark, "I mean, there are people out there who are seriously concerned you're trying to 'remake' our world."

"'Remake?'" Lois glared at Ralph, who held up his hands and gave her a 'don't shoot the messenger' look.

Clark sighed heavily. "You mean people are afraid I'm somehow creating a race of Kryptonian children who'll take over the world? Something like that?"

Ralph nodded. "Something like that," he agreed.

"We shouldn't even have to dignify that with a response," Lois scoffed. "I'm not some sort of Kryptonian baby-making machine popping them out one after the other to try and create a new master race."

"You do have _six_ of them though," Ralph reminded her. Lois gave him a glare that could have been the origin of the phrase 'if looks could kill' and Clark saw why Perry had assigned Ralph to the interview. "That is a large family, speaking of which, how do you disciple them? I mean, considering size of your family and the fact that they've got all of Clark's abilities, how do you keep control?"

"I doubt our discipline is all that different from most parents," Lois said with a shrug, "sure, we get a few more holes in the walls than most families. But on the upside, they can hear you yelling form a lot further away."

"It's never really been a huge issue though," Clark admitted, still smiling at Lois' comment, "they're good kids, they'd never do anything really bad."

"But really," Ralph continued, "how can we humans feel safe knowing that your children are basically as indestructible as you? What should happen in the event one of them should decide to give free reign to your powers if they get greedy or arrogant?"

Clark closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing the question, it had been one he'd always known would come up when they world discovered the kids but in all the time he'd thought about it being asked he'd never been able to think up an answer that would erase all doubt from people's minds. "All I can say is that we know our children and they would never do anything like what you're suggesting."

"But we only have your word for that," Ralph pressed.

"I can't give you anything else," Clark said, "but from the day I told Jason who I was I've also told him that with great power comes great responsibility, and we are to only use our abilities in way s that help people, not harm them."

"Wait." Ralph frowned and turned to Lois. "_You_ didn't tell Jason Superman was his real father?"

"How could I?" Lois asked, rolling her eyes, "At the time I didn't have any idea who he was either."

"You didn't?" Ralph looked genuinely shock at that and Lois laughed.

"I know," she agreed, as Clark tried to sink into his chair, "it's still unbelievable to me how long he waited."

"Okay then, Clark, how long _did_ it take you to tell Lois about your secret?"

Clark opened his mouth but even with his speed he couldn't beat Lois, who replied with the only really true answer there was to that question:

"_Too _long."

* * *

Jason Kent was no stranger to fame or interviews. _BreakOut_ was an extremely popular after school TV show and being one of the main hosts he was regularly recognized on the streets and often called by kid's magazines and even gave live TV interviews a few times a year. But for some reason he was as nervous this time as he had been during his first interview.

"Well, given that most of your biography is easily accessible thanks to your work in television, we won't bother wasting time on that. In fact I think we should just jump straight into the question on everyone's minds," Owen Reed, the reporter assigned to Jason said, apparently not noticing the other man's uneasiness, his pen poised somewhat ominously above his pad.

"Do you hold any bad feeling towards your father for effectively abandoning you for five years?"

"No," Jason said without hesitation, "in fact I'd like to say right now that 'abandoned' is the wrong word to use in this situation. Dad didn't even know I existed until he got back- saying he abandoned me is almost giving the idea that he knowingly left me to go find Krypton."

Owen nodded, scribbling on his pad while asking his next, equally predictable question. "I think we all saw last night that you inherited at least a few of your father's unique abilities but what's the full extent of them?"

"Everything Dad can do, Sophie, Dean and I can also do. We have all his powers and they're at least as strong as his."

"How about the other kids, your younger siblings. How much can they do at the moment?"

Jason bit his lip and looked through the glass at his parents in the next room. His Dad had told him to be honest but it was a different story when he wasn't talking about himself. He decided to go with the safest option.

"I can't discuss that at this time," he said, the words carefully rehearsed from the few times _BreakOut _had gotten bad press.

Owen looked slightly annoyed but no doubt had heard that statement and ones like it a million times during his career and he moved on. "What about his weaknesses? Do you have the same reaction to kryptonite?"

Jason frowned again, longing for the easy questions about children's TV and whether or not his co-host, Kate and Tristan were an item (they're not). The actual answer wasn't hard but he wasn't' sure how much to say. "We're only affected by a certain type of Kryptonite," he explained carefully, "most of the stuff on the streets or the black market is harmless to us."

"So in a way, you're _stronger _than your father?" Owen asked, his head snapping up for the first time since the interview had started.

Jason suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He could see where a question like that could led. What would happen if one of the kids decided to go rogue? How could Superman stop them when they were stronger than him?

"No," Jason shook his head, trying not to lie but trying not to tell the whole truth at the same time. "Not really, he's stronger than us normally but Kryptonite affects us in different ways than it does him," he said slowly, hoping the majority of the public wouldn't think too deeply about the ways Clark could be overpowered by his children. Hopefully they'd have a chance to show the world they were just a peaceful as their father before any real fear took hold. "You know, we can still get hurt," he said quickly and perhaps a bit to eagerly.

"Hmmm…" Owen frowned at him for a few more moments before nodding. "Right, now moving on…"

Jason resisted the urge to hit himself in the head and look crazier than he probably already sounded. It was going to be a tough few weeks.

_"-this story seems to be _all _people here can talk about," _the CNN reporter standing outside the _Daily Planet_ building was saying as she was jostled by the crowd, _"reactions are mixed here in Metropolis where Clark 'Superman' Kent has lived and worked for most of his life. Many feel that their once trusted hero has _lied_ to them by keeping his true identity a secret while others understand his position."_

_"Of course we're referring to the many criminals Superman has caught and put in prison, aren't we?" _The studio reporter asked in a tone that clearly said they'd talked about this several times before.

_"Yes, we don't have exact numbers but in Metropolis alone the number of criminals brought to justice because of him is in the thousands and we're only just compiling _global_ numbers, which some estimate may be as high as the _millions_ covering all two decades Superman has been on Earth. Many have tried to get revenge on the Man of Steel through various means, most utilizing kryptonite and their weapon of choice._

_"However, many feel that the reason Mr. Kent hid his identity for so long was to protect his wife and children from such revenge seekers. While it seems the older children have inherited their father's unique abilities the younger children may be more vulnerable to attack." _

Richard frowned as the camera switched back to the studio reporter. Now that his initial shock had gone he could certainly understand why Clark had kept his identity from the world at large. While he doubted the criminals Clark had captured was in the millions he had absolutely no doubt many were extremely dangerous and while it seemed Jason, Sophie and Dean at least were more than capable of taking care of themselves, it would not be long before Chris and the twins surpassed kryptonite as the best way to hurt Superman. Richard wondered if any of the people who seemed angry at Clark had kids themselves- he couldn't see a parent not understanding the need to keep their children safe.

But the deep hurt in his chest still wouldn't disappear. Yes, he could see why Clark hid his identity from the world but why hadn't they told _him_? Did they really think Richard would use it against them and risk hurting Jason? Or did they just not think he could handle it?

"Is Uncle Clark really Superman?" Richard jumped as the small voice came from the darkened doorway.

He muted the TV and held his arms out as his son ran into them. "What are you doing up this late?" he asked, kissing Eric on the forehead as the boy snuggled into his Dad's arms.

"I can't sleep and I heard the TV going," Eric explained, "will Jason take me flying next time he comes to visit?"

"I don't know," Richard replied, trying not to let his real emotions show on his face.

The other thing that had been bothering him for the whole night. Why had _Jason_ never said anything? Richard had made an effort to see him whenever possible, flying back to Metropolis for his birthday and Christmas and not once had Jason ever let on he was anything other than a completely normal human. Maybe they were simply growing apart and Richard had been too blind to see it.

"Do you think Jason asked his _girlfriend_ to marry him yet?" Eric giggled as the muted TV displayed a picture of his brother.

"I- um, I don't know," Richard stammered, remembering the pretty architect Jason had introduced to him on his last visit.

"I hope so," Eric continued, "she was really nice."

She had been nice, Richard recalled. What was more- it was only last week that Jason had confided in him over the phone that he was thinking of proposing, which Richard had urged him to do, being utterly thrilled by the news. He hadn't even told Lois and Clark when he told Richard either, so clearly he still felt close to his first father.

_Then why_, he asked himself, _why didn't _he _tell me?_

"Dad are you listening?" Eric asked, looking annoyed.

"I'm sorry, kid," Richard sighed, "it's just late and I've got a lot on my mind," he apologized.

"Oh," Eric muttered. "Is it about Jason? Are you going to go to America soon?" he asked quietly, tightening his grip on his father.

"I would never leave without telling you," Richard reminded him, "and when I do, I'll always come back," he said firmly, pulling him in for a hug. It baffled him where Eric had acquired this fear that Richard would one day leave and never come back but he tried to take every chance to tell his son it would never happen.

"So you _are_ going though?" Eric asked again, still sounding worried.

"I don't know," Richard admitted, holding his son tighter. "I really don't know what's going to happen."

* * *

**A/N: **A huge thanks to **JamesTKent** and **Pony R.** for their questions. Hope you guys enjoyed the last part of the interview(s), next chapter we check up on a few more people to see how the news is effecting everyone. Hope to see you there. **PS**- My beta appears to have fallen off the face of the Earth so this is the first un-betaed chapter I've put up- sorry if it sucked.

Reviews are love!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Not sure if last week was just particularly slow but I hope this one inspires more reviews. Feel free to tell me if you think I've done something wrong as well. This chapter actually gave me a bit of trouble for a certain scene so sorry about the wait on that. I hope you like it. And yay for finally getting my beta back!

**Chapter Twelve: **_**Quantum Cats And Other Random Facts**_

* * *

Tristan arrived early to work the next day, dodging the news vans that crowded the driveway of the studios.

"No comment," he yelled over the reporters as they fired questions at him about his friend and co-worker, Jason. He finally got past the security and into the building where he tried to blink the flashes out of his eyes.

Tristan had worked on _BreakOut_ for a little over a year so he'd dealt with the media before but this was ridiculous. Being recognised by tween girls on the street and running into the odd paparazzi when he was out was nothing compared to that onslaught.

"Hey, Tristan," someone called from down the hallway. He turned to see Leo, the producer who'd aided Jason's quick escape, coming towards him.

"Hey, man." Tristan nodded, moving away from the door, "how's it going?"

"Depends which camp you're in," Leo sighed, "the 'Jason-should-be-fired-because-he-lied-to us' or the 'Hey-let's-give-him-a-raise-because-he'll-bring-more-veiwers-now'." He shook his head,

"Do you have to do either of those?" Tristan wondered aloud as they walked down the hall towards his dressing room. It didn't seem quite fair to him that Jason should be fired for not exposing his father, nor did it really seem fair if he got a raise just because of that.

"Well apparently we have to do _something_," Leo said with a shrug, "I swear the only thing that hasn't been suggested is not doing anything and just leaving things as they were when he comes back."

"Have they found out it was you that gave him that form?" Tristan asked with a grin. He knew they other producers couldn't really do anything about it anyway, in their contracts they were allowed one emergency leave a year with no repercussions. It was a tad inconvenient as it required all the shows they were away for to be rapidly re-written as had happened this week.

He'd used one when his mother had been in a car accident. And, he remembered, the only reason she was still alive was because Superman had arrived and gotten her out and to hospital quickly- he made a mental note to ask Jason to thank his father.

Suddenly he was jerked from his thoughts by a sharp pain in his nose caused by the fact he'd just walked straight into a door that had opened in front of him. "Oh my god!" a voice yelled, while another laughed in the background. "I am so sorry, Tristan," Kate apologized as she closed the door behind he and helped him up.

"That really hurt," Tristan gasped putting a hand up to his face to make sure his nose was still there. It was extremely tender but didn't appear to be broken.

"I'm really sorry," Kate said again, glaring at Leo who continued to chuckle. "It's not funny," she snapped.

"Sorry," Leo said with a grin, "but it did look pretty funny."

Tristan rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the sharp headache that was rapidly making itself known. "Oh, shut up," he muttered as Kate lead him down the hall to the kitchen to get some ice, and hopefully painkillers. He wasn't too mad at Leo though, he probably did look kinda funny just plowing face-first into the door.

"Why are you here so early anyway?" Kate asked, sounding rather annoyed at him. She'd probably be going on about how it was all his fault for arriving too early and being in the wrong place at the wrong time within a few minutes.

"You're here early too," Tristan pointed out, waving to Leo as he looked at his beeper and disappeared down the hall again, "and I was coming in to see if anyone had heard anything from Jason."

"Why do you want to hear from him?" Kate asked, sounding even more annoyed as she rummaged through the freezer for a cold pack.

"Maybe because he's our friend and I'm worried about him. Ow!" he yelped as Kate slammed the cold pack on his nose. "What was that for?"

" 'Our friend'?" She glared at him. "You know what real friends do?" she asked as she threw a bottle of painkillers at him. "Real friends tell their friends who they really are."

"But he never really lied," Tristan pointed out as he swallowed two pills, not even waiting for the glass of water Kate was filling up. "He just left out that his _Dad_, who _is_ apparently Clark Kent, was also Superman."

"Something pretty big to leave out, don't you think?" Kate asked, sitting opposite him and sliding the glass across the table. "That you can fly and run faster than a speeding bullet?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't really change who _he_ is you know," he tried to explain, "I don't see how it's different know that we _know. _Like Schrödinger's cat."

"Who's cat?' Kate asked, "How hard did you hit your head?"

"_Schrödinger's_ cat," Tristan said, "it's like a theory of quantum physics or something." Kate raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked defensively, "I'm allowed to know science stuff." Kate raised the other eyebrow. "Fine," Tristan sighed, "my ex-girlfriend's cat was called Schrödinger and I made the mistake of asking why one day."

"I think I've heard of it," Kate admitted, "But what does any of this have to do with Jason?"

"Well, Schrödinger's cat was put in a box and you didn't know whether it was dead or alive until you opened it but it didn't make a difference when you knew 'cause the cat was still dead before you looked."

"No." Kate frowned. "I _have_ heard that before but I didn't know the name. And I'm pretty sure the theory was that the cat was poisoned and _everything_ changed when you knew."

"Why would it change when you knew?" Tristan asked, "If you have a dead cat in a box why would it be different if you _knew_, it would still be a dead cat in a box."

"But this thing with Jason is not about whether we _know_ what's in the box or not," Kate told him, her voice rising, "it's about whether or not we were _told_ when we were given the damn box!"

"But _why_?" Tristan asked again. "Look, I don't know _your_ entire genealogy and I don't mind. And it wasn't really Jason's cat in the first place- it was his father's box- or cat… or dead cat…" Tristan trailed off awkwardly.

"You picked a bad metaphor, just admit it," Kate said, looking amused as he frowned in confusion. "And I'm pretty sure your theory was wrong from the start."

"Fine, I'm not a physicist, so sue me," Tristan sighed. "But can you please just _try_ and see this from Jason's point of view. It wasn't like he was the one with the secret identity, sneaking out to save people's lives and catch criminals. It was his Dad's secret wasn't it?"

"Did you watch TV last night?" Kate asked, seeming a bit calmer but clearly still angry.

"Yes," Tristan answered warily, wondering if he was going to regret that.

"Well then you would know that _Jason_ has been hiding stuff from us as well, or did you somehow miss the _hours_ of coverage devoted to how he helped his Dad and brother and sister with that apartment fire?" Kate sat back and crossed her arms, daring him to deny that Jason had had his own secrets as well.

Tristan sighed, he was starting to get tired of the argument, he didn't like arguing with his friends. But he felt the need to defend his other friend as well. "Can't we just get to rehearsal and talk about this later?" he asked.

Kate sighed. "How about this?" she started, "We stop arguing, go to rehearsal, then don't bring this up again until Jason comes back. He's the one who should be explaining and it shouldn't come between _us_."

"Agreed," Tristan said with relief, checking his nose in a mirror as they stood up.

"So what are we doing about the cooking segment then?" Kate asked, changing the subject back to work as they headed to the sound stage. "Jason usually runs that and neither of us know a thing about food."

"We'll figure it out," Tristan assured her, "maybe they'll just postpone it, Jason comes back to work next week."

_I hope_, he added silently. The argument with Kate, even though temporarily on hold, had proved that even his friends were quick to condemn him. He just hoped others would try and think before they judged.

* * *

"You're named after a car part, _I _was named after Superman," Clark Ross said, grinning across the table.

"Shut up." Axel Ross, his younger brother glared back at him. "I was not named after a car!"

"Were too," Clark shot back.

"Was not!"

Were too!

"Not!

"Too!

"Not!"

"Enough!" Lana snapped, making both children jump as she slammed the heavy chef's knife she was carrying down on the table to emphasize her command.

Both her children stared at her in shock before Clark looked pointedly at her knife. "Jeez, Mom, we'll stop just step _away_ from the knife."

"What?" Lana asked in surprise before noticing what she had used to bang on the table. She looked at the large, rather lethal looking, knife and burst into laughter. "Well now I know what to bring next time you won't get out of bed."

Clark stuck out his tongue and Axel giggled as she shook her head. "Clark, you were named after Clark Kent, our friend in high school," Lana reminded him, "long before he became Superman and you know very well that Axel was named after my grandfather."

"See?" Axel grinned triumphantly at his brother.

"What are we seeing?" Their father asked as he wandered downstairs, looking like he'd just rolled out of bed.

Lana rolled her eyes as her husband stumbled to the table, so much for the country myth those those raised on a farm were early risers. "That Axel was named after a car part," Clark jumped in quickly before his mother or brother could respond.

"Clark, you know that's not true," Pete sighed, turning to his wife lightly as she sat next to him and handed him his breakfast. "Thanks dear."

"So Mom," Clark asked with a mischievous grin, "was Superman a good kisser?"

"_Clark_." Axel's mouth dropped open as her stared at his brother in shock.

Lana felt herself go red as Pete chuckled beside her. "That's got absolutely nothing to do with you," she said, giving him a stern look as she tried to look annoyed rather than flustered that her son would what to know such a thing.

"Well she only went out with him once so what does that tell you?" Pete asked, shooting his wife an amused look over his coffee mug.

"I think we should leave early today," Lana said, quickly changing the subject. "I'll bet you anything the reporters in town have more than doubled since yesterday and we don't want to be late for school."

"I bet Chris and the others don't have to go to school today," Axel told her, with a hopeful expression.

Pete laughed. "Nice try, but if I know you Uncle Clark those kids will be packed off to school like any other day. No doubt they'll be keeping as normal as possible."

"That's a bit hard don't you think?" the younger Clark asked with a frown. "I mean, it's pretty big when everyone finds out your Dad's the most powerful and famous man in the world."

"You're going to school," Lana told him, rolling her eyes. However she knew he was right, but no matter how bad it was for the kids she knew it had to be a thousand times worse for Clark.

It was one thing for people to find out your Dad was secretly the world's protector but for the world to find out _you_ had been tricking them for over two decades? She prayed Clark was alright, they'd been trying to get in touch with him since the news had broken but it had proven impossible. She just hoped Clark knew they'd be there for him if he needed them.

"So how's the school handling the sudden media interest?" Pete asked when the boys went upstairs to get their stuff.

Lana shrugged. "We've tried to tell them it's really got nothing to do with us 'cause he's not here anymore but you can imagine how well that did," she sighed.

"Yeah." Pete shook his head. "Man, it seems so weird to think that _everyone _knows now." Lana just nodded in agreement, it was always hard when a familiar situation changed. "I gotta get dressed, anyway," Pete said with a sigh, leaning over to kiss her she got up. "Did I tell you the Harrisons called?"

"No, what happened?" Lana asked in shock, she hadn't given a thought to the Harrisons since this whole thing started and now she felt guilty. "Are they okay?" Yesterday had brought a swarm of media to Superman's hometown and she could only imagine what the Harrisons were going through, living in the house the Man of Steel grew up in.

Mr. and Mrs. Harrison had bought the Kent farm five years ago after Martha and Ben had passed away, then a young couple with a newborn looking to escape the city, they had quickly taken to country living and they were now part of Smallville itself and expecting their third child in a few months. "I hope Lynn's okay, stress like that can't be good for her now."

"That's why I'm heading over, a few of us are going to see if we can help with anything. So far the media are staying off the property but Frank seemed worried when he called last night," Pete explained. "And if all else fails, hey, I was Superman's best friend in high school, maybe they'll be more interested in that than his old home."

"_One_ of his best friends," Lana reminded her husband. "And good luck."

"You too," he replied, "I have a feeling we may need it."

* * *

"So can you _fly_?"

Lucy Kent had to fight the urge to turn and slap the person behind her. It was the seventy-fifth time she'd heard that question this morning and it was _really_ staring to bug her.

She tried to pretend she hadn't heard but apparently her friend Sasha wasn't the least bit bored of basking in the glow of Lucy's sudden popularity. Not that she'd been unpopular before, of course.

"She can't yet," Sasha replied to whoever it was, "but she can do a ton of other stuff like seeing though walls and the super-speed and-"

"Sorry we gotta get to class now," Lucy interrupted, pulling Sasha into the girls' bathroom. "Sasha, how many times do I have to tell you, don't tell anyone exactly what I can do."

"But-" Sasha looked confused at Lucy's sudden reluctance to be the center of attention.

"I know I told you," she sighed, taking a moment to make sure no one was about to come in before continuing, "but you're my friend and I trust you. The thing is, until I know exactly how my parents are playing this, we should just not say _too _much about my powers. Okay?"

"Fine," Sasha said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey." Lucy frowned. "What was that for?"

"Well it's just odd to me how you always wanted to be famous but now that you are- with paparazzi camping outside and everything- you suddenly don't want it." Sasha sighed and raised her eyebrows at her friend. "Sorry if I thought this was what you wanted when you said 'famous'. Oh, and by the way," she continued, her tone becoming more angry, "sorry for thinking that because you were my best friend we shared everything. I tell you everything about myself but you couldn't be bothered to mention the small fact that… wait what was it again- Oh, yeah! Your Dad just happens to be _Superman_ and you can do all these amazing things as well?"

"Oh," Lucy muttered, rather stunned by the outburst. It hadn't really occurred to her that her friends might have been hurt by the revelation of Superman's secret identity. After all, it hadn't really been her secret to tell. Maybe one day she would've like to do what her Dad did and rescue people but that day was long off, secret identity or not.

"Well?" Sasha was still glaring at her and Lucy didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry?" she tried, but even to her the words sounded hollow.

"No, you're not."

"No, you're right, I'm not," she admitted, glaring back at her friend. She opened her mouth again but she was interrupted by the door to the bathroom opening up. "This is a private conversation," Lucy snapped and the door swung shut again. She frowned, trying to remember what she'd been about to say. "Look," she started, "if _I _had been running around in tights and a cape behind your back you'd have every right to be angry. But this was my _Dad's_ secret, not mine. Oh, god, everyone knows my Dad wears tights," she felt a brief and currently irrelevant flush of embarrassment at that realization but she pushed it back.

"I thought you _wanted_ this, remember the first thing you said to me when we were seven?" Sasha asked. "Something along the lines of 'Hey, I'm Lucy Kent and I'm going to be famous when I grow up' ring a bell?" Sasha frowned at her, "Look me straight in the eyes and tell me that the first thing that went through your head _wasn't_ that this was a good thing."

Lucy winced as she glanced through the walls to outside the school and saw the huge crowd of news vans still surrounding the school. "I'm sorry," she apologized, this time meaning it, turning back to Sasha, "believe me, I haven't changed, I do still want to be famous. But more for stuff that _we_ do rather than who my Dad is. Although," she added with a shrug, "you do have to admit this gave me a bit of a head start."

Sasha didn't say anything for a while but finally she sighed. "I'm sorry too then," she apologized.

"What for?"

"I've been trying to just act normal this morning and hang out with you. And it has been kinda fun with you being the center of attention and all, but really I need some time away from you to figure this out," Sasha tried to explain. "I am hurt that you didn't tell me about this and the fact that you seem to think I'm being unfair by feeling like that just hurts more." Lucy gaped at her, but Sasha didn't seem to notice. "I'll see you later, okay. Say Hi to your fans for me," she shot back over her shoulder as she exited the bathroom, leaving a very confused Lucy in her wake.

This day wasn't turning out at all like she had thought.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Sophie asked angrily, storming into the living room as she glared at Dean. He opened his mouth to explain but Sophie kept going. "What happened to 'someone needs to tell them how wrong they are'? Last night you even _swore_ at the man on TV but today, when you actually had a chance to come defend your own father you'd rather sit at home doing nothing?"

Dean waited for her to finish before trying again. "I'm sorry," he apologized, trying to figure out a way to tell her what Ella had said. He still didn't quite understand it himself to be honest. "I was talking to Ella," he said.

"Oh," Sophie seemed to accept that as a good start, at least she looked a little less pissed off at him. She sat down on the seat opposite him and frowned. "What's going on with her anyway? She was acting really weird last night when I talked to her."

Dean nodded. "Weird is right," he agreed. "But where's Jason? I think he should hear this as well."

Sophie shrugged. "He's still at the _Planet_, being the one born out of wedlock and raised by another man for five years apparently makes him a lot more interesting than the rest of us."

Dean nodded, he could understand that, maybe he should have gone to the _Planet_ to defend his father but Ella's shocking revelations had thrown him. He wasn't sure he'd be in the best state to give a proper defense of his family with that on his mind. He wasn't good at keeping a lot of things on his mind at once.

"So I guess we're waiting for Jason then?" Sophie asked with an impatient sigh. "By the way, have you been watching the news lately?"

Dean nodded. "Evelyn's Dad?"

"_Yes_, poor Jase. Apparently Evie still wants to marry him but you know how Jason feels about family matters, there's no way he'd do what he had to if he doesn't come around." Sophie shook her head and Dean wondered what she meant by 'what he had to do'. Then again Dean wasn't the only on to have inherited some of his mother's traits.

"How was Harvard?" he asked, keeping an ear out for his brother.

Sophie shrugged. "They're not kicking me out but I'm on academic suspension while they investigate an allegation of cheating against me."

"Cheating?" Dean asked in surprise. He wasn't really surprised someone had accused one of them of something like that, he was surprised it had happened so soon. "I'm sure you'll prove them wrong," he said encouragingly.

"Thanks," Sophie sighed, "Dani's helping too, she's taking this all remarkably well."

"I can imagine," Dean chuckled, he'd meet his sister's roommate a few times, she was the only other person Dean had meet who understood that not everything had to be a such a huge deal. It wasn't hard to believe she had accepted her friend was half-Kryptonian with nothing more than a shrug.

"Jason's coming," Sophie said after a moment, at the same time Dean noticed his heartbeat leaving the _Planet _building.

"I hear you know what's up with Ella," Jason said by way of greeting as he landed.

"Jason Kent were you eavesdropping on us?" Sophie asked, trying to sound stern but her amusement leaked through.

"What's going on then?" he asked, shaking his head at his sister.

Dean moved uncomfortably in his seat. Ella had only made him promise no to tell his parents but he was sure she wouldn't be too happy if she found out he told their siblings either.

"You _can_ tell us, you know." Sophie gave him a concerned look, "you're our little brother, you can trust us." She frowned as she looked a this large frame folded into the chair. "Well, our _younger_ brother at any rate."

"I know I can trust you," Dean told them, almost rolling his eyes at the thought he might not trust his family. "It's just I'm not sure you'll want to hear this anyway."

"Look, You've got Mom's ability to absorb shocking revelations with ease and Dad's calm rationalization and non-existent temper to go with it. If this thing with Ella has _you _upset- Then no, I'm not sure I want to know," Sophie said with a sigh.

"But if it's something that will help our sister, we need to know." Jason sat down next to Sophie. "I'm feeling pretty numb right now from everything else that's going on, so it's probably a good time to tell us."

"I guess." Dean nodded and leaned forward. "Okay, Ella made me swear not to tell Mom or Dad but you probably shouldn't tell her I told you this either…"

* * *

**A/N: **Just before anyone leaves a long, scientific review- I do know the real Schrödinger's cat theory-it is my characters who do not. I hope you liked this chapter, thing will start to pick up in the next ones leading to Act Two so get ready!

Reviews are love!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Big one at bottom to explain lateness but for now I'll just tell you that there's a new poll up on my profile page that I'd love input in and there's also a pre-_Revelations_ oneshot, _Career Change _which I'd love reviews on as well. But let's not delay, you've waited long enough:

**Chapter Thirteen: **_**On The Edge**_

* * *

"Ella… Ella… _Eleanor_, are you ignoring me?"

Ella sighed. "No, _Kimberly_, I'm trying to do my work," she hissed back, finally acknowledging her friend before going back to her math and trying to ignore her other classmates who kept turning to stare at her throughout the lesson.

Kim waited until she was onto the next question before leaning over again. "Are we going to talk about what happened with your Dad?" she asked, sounding more concerned than anything.

"Nope, I don't think we are," Ella replied simply. She still hadn't gotten rid of the sick feeling in her stomach and it had just gotten worse after her talk with Dean.

"Alright," Kim sighed.

Ella paused mid-equation and stared at her friend. "Alright?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "That's it?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Kim asked with an eyeroll.

Ella just shrugged and returned to her work. She wanted to be left alone, she just hadn't expected her best friend to listen to her. She didn't want to talk to anyone after that morning. She used to think it might be nice to finally admit how she'd felt all these years about what she was but Dean's reaction had just made her feel worse.

She had hoped that maybe he'd feel the same way, perhaps not as strongly but surely out of the six of them she wasn't the only one to have trouble with being only half-human? If Dean's reaction had been any indication the mere thought that feelings like hers could exist would shock the family.

"Hey, Ella," someone behind her whispered, poking her in the back with a pencil.

"Leave her alone," Kim snapped before Ella could even turn around.

"Something you would like to share, Miss Koe?" The teacher asked, looking up from his desk with a stern gaze.

"Sorry," Kim apologized while Ella tried to ignore the fact that the whole class was now staring at them.

"Well, back to work then," he instructed them, seemingly oblivious to anything out of the ordinary in the room.

Most of the other teachers were trying to act like nothing had happened yesterday but with the huge crowds outside the school and Lucy prancing everywhere like she now owned the place it was becoming harder to ignore. Although Mr. Astor was so old Ella doubted he was pretending, the man probably didn't even own a TV and honestly had no clue Superman's daughter was in his class.

"Is it true then?" the boy behind her, Theodore Gregg hadn't yet given up and there was another poke with the pencil.

Ella tried to ignore it until the fifth time and then she snapped. Faster than he could blink she whipped around and snapped the pencil in half before returning to her work.

The boy yelped in shock and Mr. Astor looked up again. "That's it." He stood up and walked over to the desk behind Ella. "Mr. Gregg I'm not sure what's gotten into you but screaming during my class is strictly prohibited."

There was a ripple of laughter through the class as Theo tried to explain. "She broke my pencil," he claimed, and Ella turned around to find him pointing at her.

"Well I don't blame her," the elderly teacher said with a frown, looking at him over the top of his glasses, "the way you were _prodding_ her with it. Yes, I saw that," he continued as Theo's eyebrows went up in surprise, "and that's certainly more the type of behavior I'd expect from my sixth grade class. Please bring your books up the front, you'll continue your work there where you can't distract poor Miss Kent." The class snickered as Theo gathered his things and followed Mr. Astor to the front of the class.

Ella didn't join in though, she thought if she opened her mouth she might throw up for real this time. Theo's distraction had almost been welcome because her thoughts now returned to her talk with Dean and how she was going to deal with him when he confronted her again.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Kim slipped her a piece of paper with writing on it. _It's okay if you don't want to talk now,_ she read, _but I'll still be here to listen when you're ready. _

_PS- I forgot my lunch, can you lend me $5?_

* * *

"You'd better hurry, I heard they're packing up now." The voice drifted over the trees and through the hot, dry air to the two men.

Kyle and Will shared a tired look. "Again?" Will asked, shaking his head, "this is Australia, most of it's desert, how many news stations can they have?"

"It's a newspaper this time," his girlfriend, Georgia, told them as she and Jackie returned from their water run. "They seemed pretty disappointed when we told them he'd left."

"I still don't get how you guys didn't know your friend was Superman's kid," Jackie said frowning at the two men as they tried to pack up their gear faster.

"Jackie, now's really not the time," Kyle told her as he spotted the reporters coming towards them.

"Yeah," Georgia agreed, giving the other girl a poorly concealed glare, "besides, it's _Dean_ we're talking about. He's built like a tank anyway, it's hardly a surprise he has the lineage to back it up."

"Aren't you annoyed he lied to you though?" Jackie pressed, either ignoring or simply not seeing the looks the other girl was giving her.

"Once again," Will said, throwing the tents into the back of the truck, "this is Dean we're talking about. He doesn't lie, he just hardly says anything at all. Hey, there." The last words were directed to a group of reporters who'd now reached them.

They'd been pestered by a few international correspondents who happened to be in the area but the way these ones seemed wholly unbothered by the glaring sun and stifling heat told Will they were local.

"Morning," Kyle greeted them with a nod and a tight smile, "What can we do you for?"

"You're Dean Kent's friends?" one of them asked, stepping forward with an eager look on her face.

"We are," Will confirmed, "but I'm afraid he's gone and we can't really help you if you're come about the whole Superman thing. It was news to us too."

"So he never mentioned his father to you?"

"No, of course he did." Will frowned. "He just-"

"Look," Kyle interrupted his friend, jumping off the back of the truck as he secured the last of their gear, "we've talked to about fifty other reporters today so why don't you just go find them and you can all compare notes or something," he suggested, opening the door of the truck and indicating to he girls to get in.

"But-"

Whatever the reporters had been trying to say was drowned out as Kyle started the engine. "Sorry for interrupting you back there," he apologized as Will got into the passenger's seat. "I just thought we should move on."

"How will Dean find us though?" Georgia asked before Will turned to raise and eyebrow at her. "Oh, right, son of Superman."

"It's good though," Will said in acceptance of Kyle's apology, as he turned back to the front, "better to be out of there anyway and onto somewhere where they won't know who we are."

"Imagine what it's got to be like for Dean though," Georgia reminded them.

"Dean?" Kyle asked with a shake of his head, "imagine what it's got to be like for his _Dad._"

"We have to go out and face them sometime," Lois said as she looked through the blinds of the conference room to the bullpen.

"I disagree," her husband replied.

"Oh, really?" Lois asked, turning to face him with an amused smile on her face. "On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that I don't want to."

Lois laughed. "Superman afraid of a few reporters being mad at him? I can see the headlines now, Man of Steel vulnerable only to kryptonite and the glares of his workmates."

"They're not just reporters, Lo'," he sighed, wishing he had brought his glasses with him, at least they'd be something to hide behind, "these are the people I've worked beside every day for over twenty years. And now they all think I was laughing a them behind their backs."

Lois apparently had nothing to say to that instead she just shrugged and moved towards the door. "Well, I'm going out anyway, I need to talk to Perry, find out what that old man knew but never told us."

Before he could protest she was gone, ignoring the sudden increase in whispers and pointing as she stepped out. Clark sighed, he knew he should follow but… he'd fooled these people for years with a stutter and a pair of glasses and no one likes to be fooled. Ralph was probably in the minority right now who either understood or would be willing to listen before condemning him.

It wouldn't take too long to follow Lois to Perry's office though, he'd hardly be in the bullpen at all. Then again, he turned towards the window, even on the top floor the windows could open, the _Planet _building being built before air conditioning had been available. He could go out that way and straight up to clouds where no one could see him.

He was so busy considering different escapes that the sound of the phone on the desk next to him rigging almost made him leap out of his skin. "CK, it's for you," in the bullpen Jimmy spoke under his breath after he transferred the call, knowing his friend would hear him anyway. "It's Richard."

Clark's hand actually shook as he picked up the phone but he stilled it before placing it to his ear. "Richard?"

"Hey, Clark," his wife's ex-fiancée replied.

There was an awkward silence before both tried to speak at the same time.

"Listen-" Richard began at the same time Clark tried to say,

"I'm sorry-"

"No, let me talk first," Richard asked him, when they both paused. "I don't want an explanation now, although I do expect one. I'd rather do that face to face."

Clark nodded in understanding, even though the other man couldn't see him. "When do you plan to come?"

"I've already booked a flight, we leave tomorrow."

Clark frowned. "But I could just come get you right now if-"

"I know," Richard interrupted. "I just…" he paused before taking a breath and starting again, "I'm bringing Eric and I just want to get us there by myself. I've flown that route a thousand times before." Clark winced at the hint of accusation behind the words. He knew Richard had taken a lot of planes to come and see Jason while Jason had always taken the Kryptonian Express.

"I'm sorry," he said lamely, knowing it would never be enough to make up for years of deception.

Richard sighed in a rush of static down the phone. "I know. See you soon, Clark."

* * *

Mike Baker's heart was pounding as he sat across the road, watching the crowd of people outside the apartment building. Outside _Superman_'s apartment building. Who'd thought the Man of Steel walked among them everyday as a mild-mannered reporter?

It was the only news anyone was talking about, many were excited or confused, but for certain people, people like Mike who were in a certain line of work, it had revealed an amazing opportunity. Six opportunities to be precise. Or seven if you wanted to take on his wife but Lois Lane had always been a target and it had never worked, most of the smart ones had stopped trying by now.

Mike took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves, he always got jitters before a big job, especially in Metropolis where the cops weren't the only thing you had to watch out for. But Mike was smart, he'd flown below Big Blue's radar for most of his life, careful to organize his heists to mobilize on short notice, such as when Superman was away helping at another disaster.

Until last month that was. It hadn't even been a big job, just a small break-in to grab a few shiny pieces of jewelry his brother, Tom, had seen hanging around some pretty girl's neck. Unfortunately Tom had made a mistake and the girl's boyfriend was home too, Mike had gotten away but the couple's yells had attracted the attention of the Man of Steel and Tom was now locked up in prison awaiting trial. Tom had been more 'active' in the criminal world than his brother as well, he was looking at life with no parole. And all thanks to Superman.

The funny thing was, until yesterday, Mike didn't really hold anything against the alien. He was just doing his job, like a cop or judge. Didn't mean he liked him but he hadn't seen the point in holding a grudge against a man who was simply on the other side.

But when he'd turned on the TV yesterday he'd realized something unbelievable. Superman was Clark Kent and Clark Kent was a journalist. He was a journalist- _that_ was his job, not catching people who worked on the other side of the law- that part was apparently just something he did because he took some sort of sick pleasure destroying the lives of those who'd chosen a not-so-traditional way to earn a living.

Mike glared up at the building, putting a hand inside his jacket to make sure the object he'd purchased that morning was still there. It was heavy in his pocket but it was a reassuring weight. The man he'd purchased it from was well respected for supplying quality merchandise and this piece was particularly valuable.

_Kryptonite_, the three most beautiful syllables a man in his line of work could hear. This piece had been slightly cheaper than most because it wasn't the pure stuff- it had been dredged up from Metropolis harbor in the months following the New Krypton incident twenty-two years ago.

But it to would still do the job it was intended for. If Superman- Clark Kent- could take away Mike's family then Mike could take away his. He had six to choose from as well, six half-human abominations. Although he didn't know how long it would take for one of those opportunities to present itself, he was more than willing to wait.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, like I said up there ^, this is late, really late and I'm sorry. A day after the last chapter went up my 12 year old dog was diagnosed with cancer which put me in a bit of a funk for a while. Then, just when I had an afternoon free to write, my grandfather passed away which didn't really inspire me to write either. I didn't know him that well but I just saw him at his 80th and he was fine so it was a huge shock. I appreciate your guys patience on this though and the next few chapters shouldn't take as long as this one. Hopefully no one else close to me is planning on getting deadly diseases or dying anytime soon.

Reviews are love!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **I'm a little behind again this week, my dog with cancer was out down the day after the last chapter was posted but she was in pain and it was better to let her go quietly than keep her suffering. Thank you all for your kind words and reviews. However I haven't been entirely non-existent, to tide you over 'till this was up I published a oneshot for you to enjoy. If you like Evelyn and Jason haven't yet read _Not Given Lightly_ you may want to do so. Now this chapter I've actually had planned since I first conceived this story so I'm kinda nervous about it. It's the final chapter in Act I, next chapter we're pretty much full on for the rest of the story. Hope you like it.

**Chapter Fourteen: **_**Tipping Point**_

* * *

"We're out of milk."

Ella looked up from the inside of the fridge to see if anyone else was as concerned about this as her. Lucy and Chris barely looked up from where they were glued to the TV. Briefly she recognized a reporter standing on the streets of Smallville before it switched back to the studio.

"We're out of milk," she repeated but Lucy held up her hand to quiet her.

"Ella, we're watching the news."

Ella rolled her eyes. "We _are_ the news," she informed her sister bitterly. Lucy didn't reply and Ella returned to her search. She'd already lifted and moved everything in the fridge but just in case she re-focused her eyes and gave the whole thing a once-over with her x-ray vision.

"We're out of milk," she said for the third time, louder so the whole apartment could hear.

"_Ella, _what's the matter?" Sophie asked, sticking her head out of the study.

Ella frowned. "What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise, she hadn't known her older sister was home. Jason had picked them up from school half an hour ago and deposited them back to the apartment before going to New York to see his girlfriend. Dean was upstairs, to Ella's relief he had yet to come down or try and talk to her about this morning.

"I'm making a few calls," Sophie replied, her tone surprisingly sharp.

"To Harvard?" Ella raised her eyebrows. "Massachusetts is kinda a long distance call isn't it?" Although maybe a massive phone bill would be a nice, normal distraction for their parents.

"No," Sophie almost snapped back, giving her younger sister a look that almost made her step back. "I'm not using the landline, it's still clogged with press and I'm talking to some old friends in Metropolis."

Friends? Ella didn't want to know who her sister was really talking to if they had made her that pissed. "How did you get them to stop calling your cell then?" she asked curiously. Her own phone currently had a full text inbox and 78 unheard voicemails.

"I didn't," she replied, in the same, clipped tone as before, "Dani got a new SIM card a week ago and she's letting me borrow the number. What are you looking for?"

"We're out of milk," she said for the fourth time. "I've already done that," she continued as her sister's eyes unfocused slightly.

Sophie shot her an interested look. "You did?" she asked, her tone sounding strangely surprised with a hint of something else behind it. "Huh, interesting," she muttered under her breath as she closed the fridge door. "What's the big deal anyway?"

"We're out of milk," Ella repeated, when Sophie just gave her another annoyed look she added, "that means someone has to go out and get some."

"Oh." Realization dawned across Sophie's face as she finally got what her sister had been going on about. Then she shrugged. "Well it wasn't like you could stay in here forever. Go out and get some."

"But-" Ella began before the phone in Sophie's hand started buzzing.

"Sorry, gotta take this," Sophie said, flipping open the phone and heading back to the study. "Hey… Kelly, yeah, it's true… _really?_ How much?"

Ella sighed and looked back at her unmade cup of hot chocolate. She had been looking forward to it all day, it was going to be her reward for getting through school but now she supposed she'd just have to wait.

"We could go out through the car park," Dean suggested form right behind her, making her jump, "security's been keeping that pretty clear and we do have to go out sometime," he continued.

"It's fine," Ella muttered, not looking him in the eyes. "I'll just wait."

"C'mon, El, you love hot chocolate. Don't tell me you weren't looking forward to that the whole day," he challenged her, the smile in his voice finally making her look up. She relaxed significantly when he met her gaze steadily with no hint of the confusion and shock of the morning. If he was going to corner her to bring up their talk it wasn't going to be soon.

"Can I come?" Chris asked, finally getting bored with the news and coming to join them.

"Sure." Dean grinned and ruffled his little brother's hair. "You want to come too, Luce?" he called, grabbing the keys.

"Nah, I'm good," Lucy replied, not even looking up. "Are you sure you shouldn't wait for Mom and Dad though?"

"We're just heading down to the convenience store on the corner," Dean told her, "we'll be fine."

"Gotta go out sometime," Ella sighed under her breath.

* * *

"James, are you alright?" his wife's voice asked as Jimmy staggered into the house after fighting his way through the cameras.

The media had finally got word of who Superman's best friend was and where he lived. He'd seen the pictures outside the Kent apartment though and knew they'd gotten off lightly with the three vans camped outside, although it seemed the reporters made up for their lack of numbers with their enthusiasm to attack him. "I'm fine," he assured Sarah as she snatched his briefcase and jacket away from her husband and looked him over.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, sweetie, calm down," Jimmy assured her. "I've been through worse." It wasn't strictly true, he had fought his way through bigger crowds of reporters but most of those times he'd actually been part of it. "Really," he told Sarah, who was still hovering.

"Sorry," she finally relented with a sigh. "This is just getting _slightly_ crazy right now. And I can't believe you didn't tell me your best friend was Superman!" she cried, for what had to be the thousandth time since yesterday morning.

"It wasn't mine to tell," he reminded her. "How was your day?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Alright until that lot showed up," she replied, jerking her head toward their front yard. "We missed you this morning."

Jimmy winced, he'd left the art gallery around midnight and returned straight to the _Planet_ to work on his photos. He'd hoped to be out in time to see Alice off to school but Perry had kept him in far longer than he wanted. He was the closest to Lois and Clark at the _Planet _after all.

"Yeah," he said with a shrug, "sorry about that. I just couldn't get away, Ralph wouldn't stop pestering me for statements about Clark and Superman so the photo thing took way longer. I also had to wait until Lois and Clark were done because I wanted to run my choices by them first."

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "You know, eventually they will have to get used to the fact that people are going to be printing things they don't want out there."

"I know," Jimmy told her, almost collapsing into his chair, "but I figured it didn't have to start with their best friend."

"Fair enough," his wife sighed, "are you hungry?" she asked, changing the subject again to a lighter matter.

"Starving," Jimmy said gratefully as he followed her into the kitchen. "Is Alice home yet?"

"No, it's Tuesday, she's got hockey," Sarah reminded him, "and you _need _to talk to her about appropriate clothing, I saw her this morning trying to roll up her skirt. Which is already too short if you ask me."

"Right, right," Jimmy sighed, "I'll talk to her tonight. How's the exhibition going?"

"Oh, well enough," she replied, a slight frown creasing her features.

"Something the matter?"

She shrugged. "Nothing I can change," she sighed, "it's just nerves, really," she assured her husband, "I haven't had a show in so long I'd almost forgotten how terrifying it is to have so many strangers looking at something you've poured your heart and soul into and then _judging _it."

"I think that's a perfectly normal feeling to have," Jimmy assured her.

"Not now it isn't," Sarah sighed, sounding frustrated.

"It isn't?" Jimmy asked in surprise. It seemed alright to him, he'd been a photographer for most of his life and he _still_ got nervous when he presented his work to someone.

"Not _now _it isn't," she snapped at him, "watching all that-" she waved a hand towards the TV "-happening to Lois and Clark and the kids, well my problems pale in comparison to _that _don't they?"

"Oh," Jimmy said softly, realizing what she was saying. "Sarah, you're still allowed to be nervous about your show," he assured her, "the world may be watching Clark right now but it's hardly _stopped_ just because of this."

"I know, I know," Sarah sighed, nodding in an irritated way that Jimmy knew from years of marriage meant she hadn't really agreed with anything he'd said. "I mean, sure the café down the road opened the same as always today, even if the conversation was all one topic. I don't mean that," she sighed again, this time as if to sort out her thoughts. "I mean, this isn't it, they've got problems now but it hasn't really begun."

Jimmy stopped mid-chew and put down his toast carefully. The certainty in his wife's voice was surprising, but then again she had been married to . "You're right," he agreed, "this media storm is just heating up."

"It's not really the media I'm worried about," Sarah replied, "what about all those criminals Superman… Clark," she corrected herself, "put away? Wasn't that the whole reason he kept it a secret in the first place?"

Jimmy felt a shiver go down his back. In all the chaos he'd almost forgotten about that. He could only hope Lois and Clark hadn't.

* * *

As soon as Clark stepped out of the conference room and into the bullpen the noise, which had previously been louder than even its usual chaotic level, ceased immediately. Even the ones who weren't staring at the door realized quickly something had happened and they turned to stare at the man they were quickly finding out they'd hardly ever known at all.

Clark just stared right back. He honestly had no idea what to do. Should he give them a goofy wave like he would have yesterday? Or should he just give them an aloof sort of nod like Superman would do?

He remembered the conversation that morning, and Lois' words came back to him. _You can just be yourself, _she'd promised him, she'd told him to act like he did _where everyone already knows who you are. _So he was, he gave them all a slight smile and a nod, like he would give Jimmy if he saw him in the elevator.

Then he all but fled to Perry's office. Lois was in there already and she looked at Clark in shock when he entered. "Did you know he's known for _years_?" she asked him, sounding almost angry as well as shocked.

Clark raised an eyebrow an looked at his Editor-in-Chief who was sitting in his chair looking rather amused and rather pleased with himself. "I suppose it's not that surprising," Clark said, "I guess there were some journalists who saw through me."

Perry chuckled. "You're lucky it was just me," he told him, "I never had the slightest urge to publish it. Although I guess it doesn't really matter now," he said with a sigh, looking at the muted TV in the corner.

Clark felt his heart clench uncomfortably as he recognized the town he'd grown up in overrun with reporters. He hadn't even thought about what would happen in Smallville, he'd been too caught up in his own self-pitying.

"But how did _I_ never notice you knew," Lois asked in exasperation, talking more to herself than anyone else.

In the background Lois and Perry continued to talk but Clark remained transfixed by the scenes on the television. There was the Kent Farm, the town still called it that even when Clark sold it after his mother's death. What must the Harrisons, the small but kind family now living there, be going through because of him? The wife was expecting her second child, he remembered from his last visit, he doubted this stress would be good for her.

And what about Pete and Lana and their children? The eldest was even named after him, an honor from his childhood friends he still felt he hardly deserved. What were they going to face because his secret was out?

His parents were gone now, as were Lois' but that didn't mean the media had no one to stalk for information. What about Lois's sister and brother-in-law? Lucy, who they'd named their youngest daughter after and her husband Ron. Although they were currently doing volunteer work in Africa. Would they even know? Clark wondered. With all the chaos around him and every single news outlet playing the same story it seemed odd to think there might be places that didn't yet know. Or probably care.

"Clark?" Lois voice brought him back to the present and he found both her and Perry staring at him with worry.

"Sorry," he muttered, tearing his eyes from the screen. Smallville had disappeared from it anyway. They were just playing the video of his secret being blown up with a rocket launcher again and he'd had enough of that.

"How are the kids dealing with this?" Perry asked softly. "Jason and Sophie came to talk to me earlier but what about the others?"

Clark shrugged. "They seem fine, but I think it might just be too soon to tell."

* * *

"That was Nina," Evelyn told her fiancée as she hung up her cell and lay back down on the couch with him. "Dad still hasn't come home,"

Jason had visited her sister's house again around noon and both had decided to risk returning to their apartment. It was, as predicted, surrounded by the press but they'd gone in quickly through the window and so far the crowd outside seemed unaware they were there.

She felt Jason chest fall as he sighed. She regretted telling him immediately, now he'd worry about it when it wasn't his problem, and god knows he had enough on his mind right now. It was something that Evelyn both loved and hated about him. She loved the way he cared about everything and everyone, but she hated the way he would let it stress him out and stay awake worrying about every little thing he couldn't change.

"He will," she assured him when he remained silent, "he just needs time to get used to it. He wasn't thinking when he did… what he did."

"I know," Jason replied, pulling her closer. They'd been lying on the couch for almost half an hour, just enjoying each other's company. Evelyn felt so safe with Jason, like there was nothing the world could throw at them that they couldn't handle so long as they were together.

Unfortunately the world seemed to have taken up that challenge with a passion in the last two days. It seemed hard to believe that only yesterday morning the public had woken up still thinking Clark and Superman were two different people. Now things were happening faster than she could keep track.

Their landlord had left them a note under the door, politely telling them that if the media horde outside wasn't under control soon they would have to leave as it was disturbing the other residents.

"As if we want them here," Evelyn had snorted, ready to go and give the man a piece of her mind before Jason reminded her in his annoyingly rational way that it wouldn't do much good.

"Have you heard from Jared or Beth?" Jason asked quietly, referring to her siblings who lived abroad, one in Germany and the other in Ireland.

"Yeah," Evelyn said with a sigh, "no one's bothered them at all but they're pissed about what Dad did. It hasn't made the news there yet but Nina called them both and told them. Jared called me last night just to let me know they were on my side."

"You don't sound too happy about that though," Jason noted, his voice not giving anything away. It annoyed her he was still trying not to influence how she handled the situation, she desperately wanted someone to give her advice.

Evelyn gave a half-shrug. "I really don't know how I feel," she admitted, keeping her voice even, "I mean, to be honest I've never _really_ gotten on with my Dad but I never in a million years thought he'd do something like _this._"

"No," Jason agreed, pulling her closer as if he was afraid she might listen to him even thought she knew he knew he to be more sensible then that.

"How's your family doing?" she asked, changing the subject away from her.

"They were alright when I left," Jason answered, but Evelyn felt him tense and wondered what had happened. "We'll get through this though," he promised but Evelyn wasn't sure who he was trying to calm, her or himself.

* * *

They got all the way to the basement car park without seeing a single person. But Dean could hear the din outside caused by the press and the police trying to keep them in check.

"C'mon, then," he said, leading the way out of the lift when Ella and Chris didn't move.

Chris hurriedly caught up with his older brother and slipped his small hand into Dean's. "Do you think people will know who we are 'cause we were on TV?" he asked quietly, glancing around the car park nervously.

"Maybe," Dean answered with a shrug, trying to sound casual, "but I'll look after you."

Chris said nothing which worried Dean a bit though he didn't let it show. He'd expected his brother to roll his eyes and insist that he could take care of himself. Ella was also silent as the made their way towards the exit that came out on the side of the building. They could hopefully avoid the large crowds by going out into the alley and out the other side of the block.

"So how was school?" he asked, trying to sound normal but he wasn't sure if he succeeded. He was never the best at starting conversations normally and now was anything but normal.

"It was okay," Chris replied with a shrug, "the other kids kept asking me lots of questions but Principal Randall was really nice and said he would tell them not to if I didn't like it."

"Did he?" Ella asked, breaking her silence and Dean was glad they were having a normal conversation.

Chris shook his head. "Nah," he said casually as if it was no big deal at all, "It didn't bother me that much. It was kinda cool, Harry even gave me his chocolate bar if I said I'd say hi to Dad for him."

"How 'bout you, Ella?" Dean asked, watching her closely. He'd decided not to bring up what she'd told him that morning until he'd had proper time to talk again to Sophie and Jason. Sophie had seemed upset that Ella would feel that way but Jason had just seemed thoughtful and promised to think it over. Dean was glad about that, Jason was good with things like people and making people feel better. For the first time in a long time Dean felt in over his head with Ella's revelation.

"It was okay," Ella replied, using the same words as Chris but unlike her brother she refused to elaborate. She didn't seem too upset when she said it though, so maybe, Dean hoped, it actually had been okay.

They had reached the door and Dean quickly checked the ally before they opened it. There was a man walking down towards the front of the apartment, his hands were deep in his pockets and his heart was going unusually fast. But then again, Dean thought, anyone would be nervous heading into a crowd like the one that wait in front of the building. There was no one else and the man had his back to the door so Dean decided it was safe, one person was no real threat and they couldn't avoid human contact forever.

"C'mon, let's go get some milk, then." He pushed open the door and stepped out, holding it open behind him for Ella, who stepped out cautiously, looking around nervously.

"Can I get a chocolate bar?" Chris asked, pulling Dean in the direction of the store and he laughed.

"Didn't Harry already give you one today?" Dean asked with a grin, jogging and letting his brother pull him eagerly even though he could've easily resisted.

"Well, it was a really small one," Chris lied, turning back with innocent wide eyes that Dean knew he used frequently to keep their father tied around his little finger.

"Uh-huh," Dean said skeptically, "I'll bet it was."

He turned to see how far back Ella was and suddenly a whole lot happened all at once.

The man who Dean had noticed before was now standing in front of Ella and Dean frowned uncomprehendingly as he noticed the man's fist was held against Ella's stomach. Ella bent over and grabbed the man by the shoulders, holding him tightly. Her face was ashen and her mouth was open in a silent scream.

Dean started to move forward but his legs felt sluggish, the world didn't slow down as it usually did, letting him slice through it in his own time. Instead there was a strange ache in his bones and the world was moving with him. He had barely taken three steps before the man pulled his hand away from Ella and Dean watched in horror as a long blade emerged from his sister's side.

He was running straight for the man but now he could see what was slowing him down, through the red of Ella's blood the sickly green glow of kryptonite emanated from the knife.

The man saw him coming and swung the hilt of the knife into his temple. Dean stumbled but managed to throw the man away from his sister. Dean wasn't a violent person by nature, "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger" his grandma Martha had always quoted to his parents when she talked about him.

But the sight of his baby sister lying bleeding on the ground broke something inside him and he drew back a fist and let it slam into the man's face. Unfortunately the kryptonite was working fast on him, the man threw a punch back, into Dean's gut and his vision blackened in pain.

His Dad had tried to describe how kryptonite had felt once but he'd never described the mental part of it. Dean could hardly see, he was deaf as well, the small shard of the large island his father had once lifted into space was enough to cripple him completely. Even with his weakened hearing he could still hear Ella's gasps of pain and he struggled to force his limbs to respond. To get Ella help and protect Chris but he darkness was pulling him under.

The last thing he heard was his brother scream.

**End Act I**

* * *

Reviews are love!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Okay, after that cliff-hanger last chap is probably the worst time to be late isn't it? *sheepish grin*. This chapter, although coming after the end of Act One, isn't yet the start of Act Two. It's an in-between chapter- which I can do because it's my story. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter Fifteen: **_**Falling Is Harder Than Flying **_

* * *

_"If you ever get scared or need help just yell as loud as you can okay? Wherever I am I'll come."_

His father's words on his first day over school rang clearly in Chris' mind as the seven-year-old saw his brother fall on the ground after the strange man with the green knife hit him.

Ella was sitting against the wall and didn't seem to have noticed so Chris opened his mouth and screamed as loud as he could.

The man whirled around and started towards him with the knife held out threateningly but Chris knew his Dad would come.

He _had_ too.

* * *

"_So clearly, what these kids prove, is even though he's an alien, he's got all the parts- if you know what I mean." _The voice came loud and clear from the TV to Sophie's ears in the kitchen. On screen the audience laughed in a way that said they knew exactly what the speaker meant.

"_It's not like we couldn't see that from his outfit anyway, I mean they call them _tights_ for nothing girls, am I right?"_

"Oh my god, _what_ are you watching?" she asked Lucy, unable to take it anymore.

Lucy shrugged. "Some talk-show, the news couldn't come up with anything other than what they've already said fifty thousand times already."

Sophie rolled her eyes and was about to open the fridge and make herself a sandwich when an ear-splitting scream resounded from the ground below.

_What the..._ Sophie frowned as her head snapped in the direction of the yell, and she tried to understand what she was seeing as she x-rayed through the walls and down to the alley Dean had said they were going to walk through.

Dean however was now lying face down on the concrete, not too far from him Ella was also on the ground, leaning against the wall. Chris was just standing with his mouth open, screaming as loud as he could as a tall man advanced on him with a knife.

A knife that glowed green.

Suddenly she knew what she was seeing. It was the very thing their Dad had always been so afraid of. That if people knew he had kids they would try and hurt them to get at him. And there was at least one freak with a piece of kryptonite that hadn't wasted anytime about it.

The fastest to get to them was down, straight down. The thought had barely appeared in her mind before Sophie found herself hurtling towards the window.

She was on the ground before the sound of the glass shattering had even reached her sister on the couch. The scene seemed frozen in time as she evaluated it but she could already feel to effects of the kryptonite and knew she didn't have long until her speed failed and the world caught back up with her.

First things first then. She speed over to Chris and on the way picked up the man with the knife in one hand and threw him and the deadly green rock as far away from her family as she could with her muscles already weakening.

Chris was still screaming as loud as he could but he wasn't yet as fast as the rest of his siblings and hadn't even realized Sophie was there. She glanced upwards to see the broken shards of the window on the way down. Lucy was also taking the shortest route but had to rely on gravity to carry her down.

Sophie gathered Chris in her arms and sped him into the doorway of the carpark so he wouldn't be harmed by the falling glass then checked on the others- Dean was slumped in a covered doorway in the building opposite and looked like he'd be staying down for the moment and Ella-

Sophie felt her heart stop and her breath catch as she got her first good look at her baby sister. From the apartment it had seemed as though she had merely been pushed down and fallen against the wall but now Sophie could see that was most definitely not the case.

Ella was still wearing her school uniform but the once pure white blouse was now stained by an expanding patch of red and her blue checked skirt was soaking in a puddle of blood. Her face had gone whiter than white and her heartbeat was so faint Sophie almost couldn't hear it in her shock.

She covered her sister with her body as the glass started to hit the ground with a cheerful sound like a thousand tiny bells ringing. Dimly she could feel her clothes getting torn to shreds but she didn't have enough energy to care that her new jacket was ruined.

She could buy another jacket- there was only one Ella.

"El?" She asked urgently, hearing Lucy land on the ground behind her, "Oh my God… Ella please answer me."

"Dean, are you okay?" Lucy asked in the background. There was a muffled groan and Chris was talking too, explaining how he hadn't known what to do so he'd just screamed and hoped they'd hear him.

"Where's Dad? He said he'd come!" he was asking loudly.

"Oh, _shit_, Ella!" Lucy exclaimed, catching sight on her twin on the ground.

"She's breathing." Sophie had recovered from her initial shock now and was moving into her disaster mode. Worrying, freaking out or just crying- like Lucy looked to be starting now- never helped anyone and it certainly wasn't going to help Ella.

She straightened up and took stock of the situation in the most detached way she could.

Medical attention- Ella needed it and she needed it now, but Sophie didn't want to move her until she was sure she wouldn't do anymore damage. There was also Dean to see to although he was slowly regaining consciousness and only seemed a bit bruised so Ella was certainly first.

The paparazzi- Thankfully Chris' screams had gone unnoticed by the crowd outside the front of the building, drowned out by the press and curious onlookers. However an entire pane of glass shattering on the twentieth floor had attracted a few stares and they only had seconds before someone looked down and spotted the scene and Sophie knew that would be the worst thing for Ella.

The guy with the knife- Sophie shot a quick glance in the direction she'd thrown him and was oddly satisfied to see him crumpled unmoving on the concrete a good distance from them.

She quickly but carefully began to run her x-ray vision over her youngest sister while calling out to her other one. "Lucy, the media. Can you move that-"

"Got it!" Lucy didn't even wait for her to finish. There was a screech of metal on concrete and the dumpster against the other building had been moved sideways to block any unwanted onlookers from the street. It wouldn't last but it would do for now.

Sophie's eyes were stinging and she blinked several times to clear them. The throbbing ache in her bones was slowly returning as well and as she moved her gaze through her sister's abdomen her worst fear was confirmed. Slight above Ella's hip and just below her liver lay a shard of kryptonite about as long as Sophie's thumb.

"It must have broken off the knife- New Kryptonite is more brittle than the pure stuff." The voice behind her made her jump and she felt a huge wave of relief crash over her when she saw her Dad.

"Oh, thank god," she gasped. "Ella's hurt, there was a guy with a knife- Dad?" she broke off as she caught sight of his face. It was as white as Ella's and he didn't appear to have heard a word she'd said.

Moving carefully but quickly he knelt down and scooped up his injured daughter with a practiced move Sophie had seen him use many times on TV then took off without another word.

"Where's he going?" Chris asked, his voice cracking with distress as he clung tightly to Lucy.

Dean was standing with them, looking confused. There was a gash above his eye and he was hunched over as is his stomach was in pain but overall seemed okay.

"It's alright," Sophie assured him, walking over to her siblings and offering Dean her shoulder to lean on. "He had to take Ella to hospital and she was so badly hurt he couldn't risk carrying anyone else. He asked me to make sure you guys were alright and said he'd meet us at the hospital," she lied. Although she was reasonably sure that's what he would have said had he not been in shock.

"Take Dean first," Lucy said, trying to sound calm and in control but her voice trembled. "I'll wait here with Chris."

"Okay," Sophie nodded, uncomfortably aware that the noise level of the crowd had gotten considerably louder behind the dumpster. "I'll be back in a minute."

She grabbed her brother around the waist and slung his arm around her neck before following their father into the sky.

* * *

"You're kidding, right?" Clark asked, looking at his friend like he was mad.

"Why would I be kidding?" Jimmy asked, frowning back. "We've had these tickets for ages and it's not for another month- what are you going to do just hide in the apartment for the rest of your life?"

Clark just shook his head, trying to tune out everything beyond his friend's desk. Jimmy had gone home for about three hours but, after he'd finished talking to Lois and Clark, Perry had called him back in to bring up more photos of the Kent family.

Jimmy had invited Clark to check all the photos before he sent them off to be published but Clark knew the last call was up to Perry.

He was surprised by how _un_surprised he'd been to learn Perry had known the secret for a little over fourteen years. It hardly surprised him that the man hadn't even considered publishing it. Maybe before Jason was born he would have stopped the presses without hesitation had something that big fallen into his lap. But as soon as Lois had given him the grandkids his own flesh and blood never had he was a different man.

Clark never thought he could be more grateful to the man after he'd taken a bullet for Dean and Sophie when a mentally unstable businessman with a grudge against Lois had gone after them. But now he found himself owing the man a debt he could most likely never repay.

"So, you in?" Jimmy asked, "Metropolis Meteors, the seats are practically courtside."

"I'll think about it in a month, okay?" Clark sighed, unable to muster up the ability to fight his friend over something that at the moment seemed so trivial. He let his hearing extend out from the desk again, finding Lois arguing with Perry again. This time over an article she'd written on a congressman who'd been using government money to take his girlfriend on extravagant holidays.

_"Of course it's interesting that Clark's Superman but meanwhile life goes on and this man will continue to abuse his power. Tomorrow isn't soon enough."_

He couldn't help the slight smile as he heard her but almost immediately something else caught his attention.

_"Where's Dad? He said he'd come!" _The voice of his youngest son sounding distressed came from the direction of their apartment.

For the first time Clark didn't need to, and didn't even bother, to try and cover his exit. He speed up and out of the elevator shaft before Jimmy could blink but he knew his friend would understand. Why had he been so stupid as to let the chatter of his co-workers make him withdraw his hearing from the city? How long had Chris been calling him?

Some father he was that he couldn't even hear his children calling for him when they were in need. The tone of Chris' voice had told him simply that his son needed him but as he shot across the city with his eyes fixed on the alleyway behind the apartment he knew that it was going to be far worse than he'd imagined.

By the time he reached the scene he knew three things. One, Ella was hurt badly with some kryptonite still inside her that needed to be out _now._ Two, the man who'd attacked his family had been hurled again a wall with incredible force and wasn't breathing and three, his eldest daughter may have just killed someone and he wasn't sure he minded.

The last chilling thought was pushed to the back of his mind as he landed beside Sophie and Ella. He could worry about where his morals had gone later when the kids were safe.

"It must have broken off the knife." He said as he came up behind Sophie, seeing that she had noticed the shard as well. "New Kryptonite is more brittle than the pure stuff."

"Oh, thank god," Sophie gasped. She continued talking but Clark could barelyf hear her. He hurriedly assessed Ella and knew that, while moving an injured person can be risky, not taking her directly to the hospital was going to end up far worse.

The sounds of the media outside the apartment had changed but he wasn't sure if they had knew exactly what was going on. _Do you see why I kept it a secret _now_? _He asked them silently, picking up Ella like he'd held so many injured people over the years. He just never dreamed it would one day be his child he held bleeding in his arms.

Dean looked hurt as well but his injuries didn't seem serious. Lucy and Chris were upset but Clark couldn't tell them it would be alright when he didn't know if it would be. The one thing he could do was get Ella to help.

Sophie was uninjured and he knew she could keep a level head in a time like this. She would take care of the others, he knew. He wanted to tell her it would be alright and she'd done a great job and to tell the others he wouldn't let Ella die but his throat closed up and he couldn't get the words out.

Instead he just did the one thing he knew how to do and he flew, praying desperately he hadn't been too late.

* * *

Ella was burning up and freezing cold at the same time. She had no clue how much time had passed. How long she had been sitting awkwardly against the wall, fighting the darkness that wanted to pull her under.

It could have been years since she'd felt the odd ache deep in her bones and turned to find the man behind her waving a kryptonite knife. Or maybe only a few seconds had passed from when the man had lunged towards her before she could scream and driven the blade so far into her that the hilt had made an audible thud against her hip.

She knew somewhere in the back corners of her mind that she was hurt, and hurt badly. But it seemed hard to accept properly when all she felt was a comforting numbness. Occasionally she was aware that the rest of her was in a lot of pain but it seemed awfully far away and she tried to ignore it.

Time seemed to stretch into forever as the world jumped in and out of focus. The colours were all mixing up as her vision blurred so she closed her eyes in case she was sick. She hadn't thrown up in years and it would be terribly embarrassing to do so now.

The sounds were harder to block out though and equally as distracting. It was like a little kid had gotten a hold of an old fashioned radio and was playing with the knobs, tuning everything in and out and stuffing with the volume until she wasn't sure if the familiar voice calling her name was right beside her or at the other end of the world.

"El? Oh my God… Ella please answer me."

Strange. The voice sounded almost like her sister… but Sophie was at Harvard which was all the way over in Massachusetts.

Wait, maybe _she_ was in Massachusetts. She tried to remember what had been happening before the world had decided to tilt sideways and melt into itself.

"Oh, _shit_, Ella!"

Now Lucy was here as well. Odd.

"She's breathing."

Why was Sophie here again? Ella tried to frown but her body was numb and she didn't know if she had succeeded. What was Sophie doing home? Was it family dinner night already?

"Ella, please wake up."

She didn't want to wake up. The pain at the edge of her numbness was growing and getting sharper. She didn't want to open her eyes because she was sure it would hit her harder if she did.

There were other sounds as well and dimly she recognized her Dad calling out to her but it was too painful to respond. The darkness was getting heavier and she couldn't fight it much longer.

Why would she want to fight it anyway? It was so nice and quiet in the dark, she didn't have to talk or listen she could just sleep for as long as she wanted.

Finally she gave in and slipped gratefully into unconsciousness.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so I've never been stabbed personally (for which I am thankful) so all of Ella's reactions are pure guesswork. If I'm wildly off then let's say it's because she's half-kryptonian or something, kay? :P Next chapter hopefully won't be such a long wait but I'm nervous about the next act and I needed to figure out how to do it right. I've already half-written it anyway as it deals with stuff in chapter you may have been wondering about (trust me guys, most of the time it's there for a reason).

Reviews are love!


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Act Two begins here! I hope everyone's as exited as I am *bounces* I won't say where but the major plot actually starts right in this chapter (although it's tiny right now :P). Also, this isn't late because I've published two _Revelations_ oneshots since the last chapter, _Two To Tango_ and _Over The Rainbow_ so if you're enjoying the story go check them out.

Secondly, this chapter is through the eyes of three different 'outsiders' in the fic and before you get worried, pretty much none of these characters have a big role after this chapter so don't get too worried about who's who and just enjoy the ride.

**Act II**

**Chapter Sixteen: **_**Through The Eyes Of Others**_

* * *

Metropolis Central Hospital was its usual bustling self on Tuesday afternoon. Hospital workers were used working every day no matter what that day had brought, especially in a hospital as big as Central. Whether it was Christmas, New Years or the revelation that a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist was secretly a superhero from another planet.

The rest of the world may be at home glued to their TV sets, watching as Clark Kent's life was picked over piece by piece by the ravenous hordes of the media but in the sterile walls of the hospital there was still work to be done.

That didn't mean they weren't interested of course.

"Personally, I like him with the glasses more," Renee Long told her fellow friend and nurse, Maryanne Reilly, as the two neglected their paperwork in favour of surfing the internet.

"I don't know," Maryanne said with a shrug, "he's alright but he's kinda old."

"He doesn't look it," Renee laughed, enlarging a picture of Mr. Kent at an awards dinner for some journalist prize presented to his wife. The caption said he'd left early, complaining of an upset stomach only minutes before Superman was spotted rescuing a village in India from a landslip.

Both nurses had been working at the Central hospital for over two years, having transferred there at the same time, and saw the Man of Steel almost every week. Neither would claim to be anything close to a friend to him but you don't work in the emergency services, especially in Metropolis, for long without getting to know him.

"Interesting," Maryanne muttered, scrolling down the search results. "Hey, remember that?" she clicked on a page leading to an article about an eight car collision last year. It had shut down the city centre for three hours and claimed five lives, including two children that had died after Superman had delivered them to the central hospital.

"I wish I didn't," Renee sighed, "he looked totally devastated about that, didn't he?"

"Hmm, says here that was that same time as one of his kids' school recitals."

"My Dad used to miss my recitals because he was too drunk to get up," Renee said, "Now _that _pissed me of. But if he'd missed one because he was out saving people's lives or some crap like that I'd have no problem."

Maryanne just shook her head. The two nurses were firmly on Superman's- or Clark Kent's- side as were the majority of the other doctors, nurses and emergency personal.

"Doesn't matter what the hell his real name is, he's still saved countless lives," Dr Robert Welsh startled the two friends as he leaned over Maryanne's shoulder to look at the screen. It was only then they realized everyone else had been listening to them as well.

There was a general muttering of agreement at Dr. Welsh's words and he continued louder. "I've seen ambulance drivers that complain all day about ferrying sick people around and that's their goddamn job. That man never complained once about what he did, not matter how ungrateful people were. The fact that he had a family and a life he gave up time with to do this only makes me admire him more if that's possible."

"But you have to understand why people who knew him as Clark Kent are a little upset," someone else who just 'happened' to overhear him replied.

"Oh sure," he agreed, "I mean if Mr. Owens-" he pointed to a man in bed four that had been in a coma for two years "- suddenly jumped up and yelled 'surprise, I've been awake this whole time', I'd send him into a real coma for pulling that crap. But all those freaks," he continued, waving at the TV screen, "who don't even know him but think the man should have told them just because they _wanted_ to know. They can all go to hell."

There was a louder ripple of approval at that as more people began to listen and Maryanne nodded. "He saved my brother from a car crash once," she said, "in fact this whole city owes him their lives after that New Krypton thing."

"You weren't alive for that," Renee informed her as if she might not already be aware of the fact.

Maryanne rolled her eyes. "No," she agreed, "I wasn't, but both my parents were and they were here when it happened. So I wouldn't have died in it, in fact it's worse because I wouldn't even _exist_. People should be happy to find out he has a nice family and a great job because if anyone deserves it he does. What he doesn't deserve is the whole world angry at him for having a freaking life."

"Hear, hear," Dr. Welsh agreed as another murmur of agreement swept through the reception area.

"_Children_, as fascinating as this gossip is and as much as I do agree with you there is still work to be done." Everyone jumped a glanced guiltily in the direction of the head nurse who was giving the group her best 'naughty children' glare that she used when she would complain her staff were acting as such, particularly focusing on Renee and Maryanne as they hurriedly closed the web browser. Evidently you could take the nurse out of pediatrics but getting her to stop calling everyone 'children' was just too much to ask.

They were just about to start on their paperwork when the doors of the waiting room burst open and several people screamed as they all but flew off their hinges with a bang.

The assembled doctors and nurses stared in shock at the scene. It took Maryanne a few seconds to recognize the blood-covered man in a T-shirt and jeans holding the limp body of a teenage girl. By the time she realized who he was most of the other emergency staff had already sprung into action.

"What do we have?" Dr Welsh was asking but Superman didn't seem to have heard him. Usually the Man of Steel would give a quick summary of what had happened and what injuries the patient had but currently he just looked to be in shock.

The girl was placed on a gurney and Maryanne recognized her before an oxygen mask obscured her face. Her face had been on the television constantly along with her parents and her five siblings. She was one of Superman's kids- Maryanne hadn't learnt all their names but she looked about sixteen or seventeen.

"Alright, looks like we've got a single stab wound to the lower abdomen, I can't tell for sure but it seems like we might have something still in there," Dr Welsh yelled once he realized Superman was in no condition to tell them anything.

The room continued to stare at him as his daughter had an oxygen mask placed over her head and was wheeled away. It was only when Maryanne saw a kids taking a picture with his cell phone did she snap out of her shock and remember she was a nurse.

It seemed weird to see Superman looking so lost in the hospital when he was usually so in control. But she pushed the idea of Superman out of her head for the moment. He was just another father whose child was injured and that Maryanne knew how to handle.

"Come with me, S- Mr. Kent," she instructed, catching herself just in time and leading him after his daughter.

At least the paperwork would get to wait a little longer.

* * *

Officer Ethan Rider was having a hell of a day. First he'd had to put up with three reporters from the _Inquisitor_ trying to quote their "freedom of the press" rights at him to get out of arson charges. Then he had five people in a row that had come in to the station just to ask if it was true about Superman secretly being a journalist.

"Ma'am, I know as much as you. You're better off watching the TV than coming in here," he told one woman who seemed to think she should have the right to an audience with the mayor to talk about Clark Kent and his secret identities.

"We have a right to know!" She told him. "What's stopping that man from coming into our homes and kidnapping our children?"

Thankfully she had been one of the more extreme examples. Most were just curious and several were in fact highly supportive him.

"Rider!" The voice behind him made him jump and he gratefully excused himself from the old man who was kindly telling him that in his day they never would have been fooled by a pair of glasses and a different hairstyle.

"Jones," he greeted the short balding officer who was waving him over to where he stood with a group of officers, "isn't it your day off?"

"Like hell I'm taking a day off today," the older man snapped, "The whole city's gone batshit over this Clark Kent thing and the only person I know who's gotten off is Lieutenant McKesson on account of she's busy giving birth."

"That was my excuse too, but they didn't buy it," the man beside Rider joked, provoking a laugh from the others but a glare from Jones.

"Look, you want to organize security for the Kent's apartment building, the _Daily Planet and_ deal with those arsonists in the back cell by lunch time then be my guest otherwise shut the hell up and listen. Choke, Adams and Leigh," he pointed to three of the six gathered, "I need you lot to high tail it over to the Kent's apartment building. There was an incident there and someone's in hospital- we need to know exactly what happened and detailed statements from anyone who saw anything. The officers there are barely coping with the crowd as it is so stick around afterwards and lend a hand."

The three men moved off quickly, perhaps some of it was their efficiency at their job but Rider had a feeling most of it was curiosity on what exactly the 'incident' was. "Becket, Wilson, Rider, you three are headed to Metropolis Central Hospital, we just got word that Clark Kent's there with some of his kids. Still finding out what's going on but where he is the media will soon follow. Captain Asker is already there, she's organizing it so don't ask me anything. You'll be working with the hospital security and several other officers form various stations to keep everything under control."

Rider kept his radio tuned to the news station as he drove but he knew enough to take any breaking news they said they had with a grain of salt. By the time he'd reached the hospital a crowd was already starting to gather and the only thing he knew for certain was that one of Clark Kent's six kids had been injured.

The news stations couldn't agree on which one or how it had happened but Rider had been on the force for just under six years. He's seen more than one criminal take revenge on the family of the cop who'd put them or their friends away. He didn't want to think how many might have been plotting to harm Superman's kids since Monday.

He flashed his badge at the guard outside the ambulance entrance and asked, "Do you know where Captain Asker is?"

"Just in the main reception area," the guard told him, "she said to send any cops her way."

He thanked him and hurried to the reception area. He'd seen Becket's and Wilson's cars already parked outside- giving the impression of a stronger police presence than was actually available. But even through he knew he was running late he stopped to chat to several other officers he passed on the way.

From their far more reliable sources he found out that Superman's sixteen-year-old daughter Eleanor Kent had been attacked by a man wielding a kryptonite knife. She had spent three hours in surgery and was currently in a 'critical but stable' condition. Two of her brothers had also been with her but they were relatively unharmed with only the older one needing any medical attention for a few nasty cuts.

He also learnt that the whole Kent family was here, including on of the kids' fiancées. Unfortunately word of that was spreading quickly and the journalists were rushing to be where the news was.

Rider jogged up the last few stairs to the reception area hoping he wasn't too late only to find that Captain Asker was occupied on her radio with some incident involving a cameraman trying to climb the side of the hospital to Eleanor Kent's room. She waved him away and held up her hand, telling him to give her five minutes.

Rider shrugged and was about to seek out more info when he turned around and spotted Superman himself standing beside Commissioner Henderson. The noise level of the other officers dropped considerably when they noticed him.

According to an officer Rider had spoken to in the hall, Commissioner Henderson had cancelled a trip to LA to come to the hospital when he had heard the news. Rider watched him curiously; he was probably the one policeman who had had the most contact with the Man of Steel over the years, even after his promotion the two had often been seen talking together. Rider wondered if he was mad about the whole secret identity thing as well.

"Admit it, you knew," the man who was at the moment both Superman and Clark Kent was saying with a tone that suggested he might have smiled had the meeting not been under such somber circumstances.

The Commissioner shrugged. "I had my suspicions," he replied, "but I still got a hell of a surprise turning on the TV yesterday."

"I think we all did," the young, dark-haired woman standing beside Superman said with a roll of her eyes. Rider recognized her from the news as one of Superman's daughters; the one at Harvard but her name escaped him for the moment. "By the way," she continued, "there's an Asian girl outside called Kimberly Koe. Can you let her in, please? She's a friend of my sister."

Henderson nodded to the first officer he saw, which just happened to be Rider, who quite wanted to stay and see what was going on but went to the door anyway. The crowd outside was blocking off the road and the cops on the entrance were only just managing to keep the reporters at the front away from the door.

There were a few Asian girls about the right age to be Eleanor Kent's friend in the crowd that he could see but only one had managed to fight her way to the front and was angrily demanding that the officer closest to her let her through.

"I'm her friend," she told him, "you _have _to let me in."

"Yeah, you and the rest of the world," the cop replied, trying to push her back so they had more room.

"Kimberly Koe?" Rider asked, ignoring the sudden barrage of question hurled towards him by the over-eager journalists.

"Yes," she replied, "can I go in?"

"No, ma'am, I already said-"

"Actually, you can let her through," Rider told the other man, "she's telling the truth."

The other officer just looked relieved to get rid of her as he let the girl through before returning to crowd control.

"Do you have any ID on you?" Rider asked before he took her inside, he wanted to be sure he had the right person and not just an opportunist fan trying to get in.

"Here." Rider was surprised when the girl presented her passport to him but he supposed she had being expecting to be asked. "I'm not lying," she told him as he looked closely at the photo and name, "who in their right mind would make up that name?"

He looked at her full name: _Kimberly Karen Koe_. "Alright then," he agreed with an amused smile, "come on."

"Is Ella alright?" the girl asked, her concern genuine.

"I'm sorry, miss," Rider apologized, "but I don't know, you'll have to ask the family."

The reporters were yelling to ask who the teenager was and why she being let it but Rider ignored them as he led Kimberly back to the room. Superman and Henderson were still there with Superman's eldest daughter and they had been joined by another blonde girl the same age as Ella.

Lucy, Rider remembered from the news, Lucy and Ella were Superman's twins. The twins were blonde, he recalled, even though they weren't identical, and so was the youngest boy. The other kids had dark hair and they all had the same unearthly blue eyes as their father.

"Kim!" Lucy exclaimed, hugging the other girl. Rider blinked several times, he hadn't seen the other girl move at all. She was across the hall one moment and then she was beside him hugging her sister's friend. "C'mon, Ella's down the hall, she's not awake yet but you can go in…" her voice faded away as the pair disappeared down the hall.

They were passed by another Kent, this one as tall as his father although, if Rider remembered correctly, Dean Kent was only eighteen. His head had a bandage on it and his arm was in a cast but his movement didn't seem to be impaired.

"You should be resting," Superman- Rider still couldn't think of him as anyone else- said.

"I'm fine, Dad," the teenager told him, waving off his complaints.

His sister started to say something but Rider didn't hear as Captain Asker finally had time for him and informed him he was to relive one of the crowd-controllers who had been knocked over and broken his arm.

Rider was a little disappointed he had to leave the place where all the interesting things seemed to be happening but he did have a job to do and the word didn't stop just because some journalist took off his glasses.

In fact, it got a lot crazier.

* * *

Erin Jones frowned unhappily as she sent off her article about Dean Kent to the Chief. Like the rest of the bullpen she was working on the story of the moment- the fact that nervous, klutzy and forgetful Clark Kent was also the strong, handsome and outgoing hero Superman.

She knew it was the news of the century but she still wasn't comfortable writing about a teenager who was probably in enough danger right now because of who his father was. Thankfully she didn't know exactly how much of his father's power the kid had inherited and she'd been able to write with complete honesty that, from the footage of the apartment fire he'd assisted with, it looked like Dean was just as powerful as Superman. It wouldn't dissuade those with access to Kryptonite and a severe grudge but hopefully small-time criminals wouldn't bother.

Erin hadn't worked with Clark as closely as some of there other reporters but she knew him and his kids well enough. It was hard to imagine how they had all been fooled so easily by a simple pair of glasses and a clumsy act but Erin had quickly come to realize that no one had ever even considered Superman having a secret identity before yesterday so no one had ever looked.

It didn't make the joke e-mails circulating about the blindness of the _Daily Planet_ staff any less annoying though. She deleted two more forwards from reporters at the _Daily Star _and the _Metropolis Times_ in her inbox without opening them. The jokes were terrible and nasty and only served to make most of the _Daily Planet_ staff more hostile towards Clark.

"- laughing his head off behind our backs-"

And there went Gil again. Most of the other staff had chosen to get to work on their parts of the special edition the _Planet _would be printing that evening but Gil had taken it upon himself to try and turn as many of his colleagues against Clark as he could.

She supposed Clark hadn't helped matters by blasting out of the bullpen and messing up everyone's papers but ever since the news had come across the TVs that one of his kids had been attacked Erin had joined the previously small but now rapidly growing portion of the staff that thought Gil and his lot should just shut up and try and see things from Clark's point of view.

Three more e-mails popped up in her inbox- yet another joke one and two from friends who knew she worked at the _Planet_ and wanted the inside story on Clark 'Superman' Kent.

She needed a coffee. Anything to take the edge off the stressful day. She headed towards the break room but took a detour towards her friend Andy's desk in hope of getting some company on her break.

Andy however seemed to be busy, he had the phone held to his head with his shoulder and was rapidly typing while listening to the person on the other end. "Uh-huh," he said as he nodded and almost dropped the phone. "So neither of them can fly but all the older ones?... Yeah- got it."

Erin raised her eyebrows at that but didn't interrupt. Andy typed a few more sentences and leaned back. "No, you've been very helpful. I'll see you on Saturday okay…. Yes… only if it's accurate…I'll look forward to talking to you again then. Bye." He hung up.

"Who was that?" Erin asked, causing Andy to almost fly out of his chair.

"Jeez, Erin, warn a man will you?" he yelped as he placed a hand on his chest. "That was my cousin," he told her, waving towards the phone. "reckons she's got info on Kent's kids, about their powers and somewhat."

"Really?" Erin raised a skeptical eyebrow, "so does half the city."

"But," Andy said with a grin, "she knows one of them personally. I've even seen them together when I visited."

"Who?"

Andy shook his head. "Sorry, Erin, a journalist has to protect his sources. Hey!" he cried as she leaned forward to read what he had written. "Don't go stealing my scoop!"

"You're not honestly going to publish that his youngest son has no powers yet are you?" she asked in concern, thinking of the cheeky seven year old who often wreaked havoc in the bullpen.

"The people wanna know," Andy replied with a shrug, "and it's hardly like _he's_ been all that open with them."

"But if people know Chris is vulnerable, they're more likely to try and target him to get revenge on Clark."

"So?" Andy shrugged. "His Dad's Superman, he'll look after him."

"But-" Erin looked at her friend in disbelief. Didn't he know even Superman couldn't do everything? Wasn't one of his kids in hospital right now because as powerful as the man was he couldn't be everywhere?

She shook her head, wondering if Andy's cousin knew how much more damage she could be doing to a family that was already going through hell right now.

"So was there any reason you came over here?" Andy asked, "You wanted to grab a coffee or something?"

Erin looked back at Andy's screen and shook her head. "No," she said, "it was nothing."

* * *

**A/N:** Btw, if you want a Christmas present from me see the link on my profile page :P Also, Changed the rating of this fic to T (13+) because there might be a few bad words and violence in later chapters. Nothing over the top though- I'm trying to keep it at a K+ level but just in case it's now officially T. It won't go higher than that though. Also, new poll at my profile page.

Reviews are love!


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Okay, since the last chapter there have been two new _Revelations_ related oneshots- _The Bestest Present Ever_ and_ A Chance Worth Taking_. Because this 'verse it eating my brain. Not going to bore you with one of my usual long ANs today so without furthur ado- the next chapter.

**Chapter Seventeen: _No More Secrets_**

* * *

The sharp report of the gun had barely echoed around the room before the shooter found himself disarmed and pushed to the ground. The bullet, which had been on its way towards the leg of a smartly dressed bank teller, was snatched from its path by a hand moving so fast it blurred to the eyes of the watching hostages.

Dean sighed as he tucked the bullet into his pocket and nodded politely to the stunned, and now, former hostages. "Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked the shaking woman on the floor.

She nodded slowly at him before looking at the man who had, just a moment earlier, been about to shoot her. She frowned and suddenly her head whipped back to Dean and she blinked. "You're not..."

"I'm Dean," he introduced himself, "Dean Kent."

He didn't stay long after that, just to give the police his statement then he shot back into the sky. His navy blue overcoat cracked in the wind as he arced high over the city. Under it he had thrown together a hurried version of what he hoped would at least help people identify who he was. A pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt with the symbol of the House of El in silver upon it. And, at Chris' insistence and to his sisters' amusement, he had also put on a pair of bright red Converse shoes that clashed terribly with the rest but seemed oddly fitting.

He'd borrowed the T-shirt from Jason but unfortunately Dean was a good deal larger than his older brother and it was almost uncomfortably tight. Although his mother had pointed out that if he wanted to look like Superman then the tighter the better.

It was still hard to believe that only two days ago he wouldn't have entertained for a second even the mere thought of displaying any of the amazing powers in public he'd inherited from his father.

However he hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. Only shortly after Ella had got out of surgery last night there had been a landslip in China which certainly required Superman's help. Unfortunately, Clark was busy twisting himself into knots of worry and guilt over Ella and the general state of his family's life and it took all of five seconds for Jason to declare him in no fit state to mount any sort of rescue mission.

With the world's opinion on the Kent family yet to be confirmed the worst thing to do would have been nothing. Of course good PR was just a bonus as neither Jason nor Dean could stand to see people being hurt when they knew they could do something to help without fear of destroying the secret anymore.

Sophie had wanted to join them as well but they had decided it best if she stayed in the hospital for the time being. As if things weren't stressful enough their oldest sister was now under investigation for assault. Or something like assault- Dean couldn't remember the exact phrase- she'd acted in defence of Ella, Chris and himself but the man she'd thrown across the ally had ended up in the hospital only two floors below Ella. He'd broken several bones and suffered internal bleeding.

Lois had almost ripped Commissioner Henderson in half when he'd apologetically informed the family of the charges. But even Clark had to admit they couldn't argue with it.

"The second we start hurting people, regardless of circumstances, and getting away with it is the second the world will start to fear us," he told his wife quietly.

Dean did an extra circle around the city to clear his head before diving down to the roof of the hospital, landing lightly behind his brother's fiancée.

"Hey," she greeted him with a tight smile, folding her cell phone up and pocketing it. "And before you ask I haven't heard anything new," she said, clearly anticipating his question as he opened his mouth.

"Is Jason back then?" he asked instead. They had parted ways after they had done all they could in China. Jason had headed to Europe where a train had derailed in a tunnel and Dean had gone back down to Australia to catch up with his friends and help with a few wildfires venturing too close some houses.

Evelyn shook her head. "No, sorry, I haven't seen a TV in a while either. I just came up here to call my cousin. I've got a few more to make but Sophie was in Ella's room last I saw."

"Thanks." Dean nodded to her as he headed to the roof access. He hadn't spent that much time with Evelyn although she seemed nice and if Jason was willing to marry her that was all Dean needed to know to trust her. She had seemed very tense but then he'd seen her father's message on the TV and he supposed that would make anyone upset.

"Hey, Superboy, how'd it go out there?" Dean blinked as Sophie appeared behind him, looking at his outfit with a small grin.

He shrugged. "It was alright, a little odd with everyone _staring_ so much," he admitted, "but it's nice to finally be able to help. How was your thing?"

Sophie shrugged. "Alright," she said rather unconvincingly, "he'll probably live and given that he pretty clearly intended to kill you guys or at least cause significant harm. Henderson says I should be able to get out of any serious charges. A fine at most, no way I'll be doing time or anything."

"Shouldn't you be able to get out of all the charges?" Dean asked, "You were saving our lives."

"Yeah," Sophie sighed, "but I could have done it without throwing your attacker into the wall and breaking half his bones."

"Probably not in the time you had," Dean insisted, "I mean I would have-"

"No you wouldn't," Sophie snapped rolling her eyes. "Dean, you of all people would have found a way not to hurt that man and you know it. Well, probably Dad as well," she added with a shrug. "I just got so angry I didn't think."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Dean muttered, glancing upwards to where his little sister lay fighting for her life. He remembered his rage at the man when he'd seen what he'd done to Ella and how he'd tried to punch him himself, not even holding back. If it hadn't been for the kryptonite Dean knew he'd been the one talking to the police instead of Sophie.

"But-" he started again before Sophie angrily interrupted him.

"Look, Dean," she snapped, "I saved you lot and I'm happy for that but now I've got to deal with the aftermath and I don't need your commentary on how stupid our justice system can be. I know what I'm doing, I'm a lawyer."

"Not yet, you're not," Jason told her, startling both his siblings as he came from behind them.

"We'll I'm closer than either of you and what are you wearing?" she asked without pausing.

Jason looked down in confusion. "It doesn't look bad does it? Lucy picked it out."

"Well you both look like something from _The Matrix_ but at least Dean's has colour," Sophie told him, sounding amused as she looked at his, hopefully temporary, super-suit.

He was wearing a long, black coat with black pants, black sneakers and a black T-shirt with a silver 'S' shield on it. "Lucy said black made it look sophisticated," Jason said defensively and, if he hadn't been far too old for such things, Dean could have sworn he was pouting at his sister.

"Whatever, Neo," Sophie muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I gotta go change anyway," he said, "I'm picking up Uncle Richard and Eric at the airport."

"Eric's coming too?" Sophie's face brightened for the first time that day. "No one told me that. I haven't seen him for ages."

"We should be able to see them more often now that we don't have to lie anymore, right?" Dean asked with a smile. "Chris will be pleased- Eric and him get along great."

"You know, the more I think about that the more I wonder why dad never told him who he was," Sophie said half to herself. "It just doesn't seem like him. Uncle Richard and Dad get along great and Richard still treats you like you're his son Jase, so why would Dad keep something this big from him?"

"I'm sure he had his reasons. Any update on Ella?" Jason asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Dean didn't really blame him, Jason was the only one who really knew what the relationship with their Dad and their mother's ex-fiancée was like. Besides, Jason was the only one of the kids Richard ever considered his son and therefore probably the only one with a valid opinion on how the matter should be handled. Dean planned on staying out of the way entirely until things had been sorted out.

"The doctor is, and I quote-," Sophie told the pair, "'cautiously optimistic'- she's been downgraded from critical to 'serious but stable' but she's healing way faster than even Dad expected. They put her in a really sunny room so it should help." Dean was relived and Sophie seemed to be too, until rolled her eyes and muttered, "Not like she'll be appreciating _that_ or anything though."

Dean and Jason shared a looked before Jason shook his head. "I'll talk to her when I get back," he promised. "I think she's just so worried about Ella she'd rather be angry than afraid."

Dean nodded. Jason was closer to Sophie than he was and he'd probably understand her better. He knew Sophie would never wish anything other than a full recovery for her sister but her tone unsettled him.

* * *

Jason only narrowly avoided swearing loudly as he looked at the arrivals board at the airport. Richard and Eric's flight from Tokyo was twenty minutes late and instead of arriving just in time to meet them coming out the gate, he was now going to have to wait for them to come through customs.

Usually something like that wouldn't have bothered him at all but he was already getting a few stares and he didn't know how long it would take for the cameras to show up. He doubted the mainstream media would bother leaving the hospital but there were plenty of other vultures wanting a piece of the story everyone was talking about.

There wasn't much he could do about it though. Last night Sophie had explained to them that the photographers were legally allowed to take pictures of them if they were in a public place. Jason already knew that- after it had been announced he was going to be a host on _BreakOut_ he'd been very surprised to see pictures of him on the street appearing in teen magazines but there was nothing to be done about it. He didn't really mind the occasional one but he knew he'd probably never be a merely well-known celebrity again.

At least Lucy had been rather gleeful in her expectation that the whole family would soon be 'going A-list'.

"Excuse me," a small voice startled him from his thoughts and he looked down to see a young teenage boy and two girls standing beside him.

"Yeah?" he asked, a tad apprehensively.

"You're Jason right?" one of the girls asked excitedly, before the boy could continue. "I love _BreakOut_, I watch it like every day. Is it true your Dad's Superman?"

"Uh, yeah," Jason replied with a smile. "To both." It felt odd to be able to openly acknowledge that his Dad was Superman but he decided there really was no point denying it anymore.

"Oh, _wow_." The three looked up at him in awe, making him very uncomfortable.

"Can I have your autograph?" the boy asked, searching in his bag for a pen and a piece of paper.

"Oh, me too," the first girl exclaimed as her friend nodded as well.

"Can you sign my TV guide?" the last girl asked, causing her friends to give her a strange look until she explained, "There's an article about _BreakOut _in it."

"So can you fly?" the boy asked as Jason took the offered pen and paper.

Before he could reply the first girl rolled her eyes. "Don't you watch TV? He help put out that fire Mia's friend was in. Our cousins' friend lived in that building those reporters torched," she explained, turning back to Jason. "I think it's totally cool you guys helped your Dad with that."

"So are you guys going to be _all _like superheros now?"

"Haven't actually had time to think about it," Jason admitted, uncomfortably aware that more and more people were staring at him.

"But you helped with that thing in China last night and the bank robbery this morning," the boy pointed out.

"The bank was my brother," Jason told them, signing the TV guide. He remembered the interview in it. It had only been two weeks ago. He made a mental note to drop by tomorrow and see what was going on.

"So why are you at the airport? I thought you guys could fly," the girl asked curiously.

"Ella, don't be rude," the boy reprimanded her. Jason flinched suddenly but the kids didn't notice as they were called away by someone and waved to him as they disappeared.

He ignored the people whispering as they pointed at him and pulled out the cell phone he'd bought at the gift shop last night. There were no messages and he didn't know whether to feel relived or not. He'd only been gone ten minutes and no news was good news he supposed.

He'd been thinking constantly about Ella since she'd been rushed to hospital. It had been a shock to realize the meeting with the kids had made him momentarily think of something else until the girl's name had jolted his mind back to where it should be.

The kids seemed to have told a few people who he was and he hurried away towards the gate before anyone else came up to him. The passengers were only just starting to come through the gate and Jason quickly x-rayed through the doors to see how long he would have to wait.

Thankfully, Richard and Eric were already through baggage claim and were almost at the front of the declarations line. They had nothing to declare, Jason noted, glancing at their cards, so it wouldn't be long.

He was just starting to relax when an odd click sounded to his left. He frowned and turned to see a man standing almost on the other side of the arrivals hall with a long-lensed camera pointed straight at him.

"That's just great then isn't it?" he muttered to himself as he tried too not-too-obviously move so that there was a concrete pillar between him and the photographer.

Unfortunately several more of the waiting people had noticed him and were taking their own pictures with their own cameras and cell phones. Some were trying to be subtle but others weren't even bothering to be inconspicuous as they snapped his picture.

It was very hard to ignore but he managed to make it look like he wasn't bothered for five more minutes. Just as he thought he might snap and use his heat vision to vaporise several devices he spotted Richard and Eric coming through the gate.

Eric saw him first, although with the amount of people now pointing at him he was hard to miss. "Jason!" The boy yelled, and as annoyed as he was Jason couldn't help grinning as his brother ran towards him.

"Heya, Eric." He snatched the boy up into a hug as he reached the pillar Jason had been trying unsuccessfully to hide behind. "How's it going?"

"Is Uncle Clark really Superman?" the boy asked, cutting straight to his point.

"Ah, we'll talk about that later," Jason told him firmly as Richard joined them. "Richard," he leaned forward to give his first Dad quick hug. "It's great to have you guys here."

"It always great seeing you," Richard replied, "but I think we could maybe talk back at the apartment?" he suggested, looking pointedly at the cameras.

"I'll drop your stuff at the apartment but everyone's at the hospital right now," Jason told him as they walked quickly to the exit.

"What?" Richard asked, looking shocked, "The hospital, why?"

"Didn't you hear?" Jason asked, "Oh, right you've been on a plane for almost a day," he realized before Richard or Eric replied. "Well, something happened to Ella."

Richard hadn't said anything since Jason had explained the events of yesterday afternoon. He seemed to be thinking, he didn't even blink as Jason flew him and Eric to the hospital.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Eric asked finally as they went down from the roof.

"Huh?" Richard seemed to snap out of his thoughts. "Oh, I was just thinking kiddo, it's been a hectic few days."

"You're telling me," Jason agreed. He lead them towards the third floor TV room where he could see his Dad with Lucy and Chris watching the news.

"Hey, Uncle Richard, Eric." The group turned to see Sophie and Lois coming towards them.

"Hey, Sophie, Lois. I only just heard about Ella, how is she?" Richard asked, his concern genuine.

"She's getting better. Thankfully she seems to have already gotten some of Clark's healing ability."

"I gotta go call Dani," Sophie muttered, her tone unusually sharp and Jason remembered he'd promised to talk to her about what was bothering her.

"Um, I'll be back in a minute," he told Richard before following his sister.

"Sophie, wait up," he called, as she turned the corner.

"What now?" Sophie asked, frowning at him, "Jason I've got a lot to sort out here and it looks like you do too."

"I know, I just want to talk for a minute. You've seemed a little… weird ever since Dean told us what Ella said."

"Oh, you mean that she hates us all because we're- what was it- 'half-breeds' or something?" she snapped. "Jeez, why would I be upset about that?"

"Soph, I don't think she hates us."

"How on Earth can she not?" Sophie asked, "She doesn't like herself being half-Kryptonian so why wouldn't she hate us too?"

"She's sixteen," Jason tried to reason with her, "everyone has issues when they're teenagers. She's probably just confused or something."

"You don't think Dean got it wrong do you?" she asked, seemingly ignoring his last statement.

"I think it would be hard to misunderstand something like that," Jason told her with a frown.

"Well, Dean…" Sophie frowned as if the next words were hard to say, "You know him, he sometimes gets things wrong…"

"Just because Dean never did well in school doesn't mean he's dumb," Jason said sharply, hoping she wasn't honestly thinking that. "And unless she wrote it down and gave him a note I don't see how he could have got it wrong."

"I didn't mean that at _all_," Sophie sighed, "I know Dean's not an idiot. I'm just… Ella's weird issues are just another layer of crap I have to deal with right now. And they make the least sense as well."

"Soph-" Jason started.

Sophie stopped suddenly and turned to him, interrupting him. "It's just- all of sudden I feel like this scared little kid again who just wants to run and hide in Mom and Dad's room. Except now they're scared too and now there's no one who's going to hug us and tell us it's going to be okay because no one thinks it will be!" Her voice rose steadily until the last words were a shrill cry that bounced around the hallway and made their ears ring.

Jason was only momentarily stunned. It had been a long time since he'd seen his usually calm and controlled sister display her emotions so openly. He pulled her into a firm hug which she returned without hesitation. "It's going to be okay," Jason told her. "Maybe not right away but it will be."

She deflated almost immediately, her tight grip relaxing and letting Jason breath a bit. "Sorry," she apologised, "I didn't mean to lose it like that."

"I think you're allowed to lose it every so often," Jason said with a small laugh, "especially when we're all so stressed out."

"Everything was going so well, you know?" Sophie sighed, letting go of her brother and taking a seat, "I had a scholarship to _Harvard, _Ella was happy- and healthy, Evelyn's Dad liked you and now…" she trailed off and shrugged. "Now everything's falling apart and-"

"Nothing's falling apart," Jason assured her, "it just feels like it at the moment. No, really," he continued as Sophie gave him a sceptical look, "you've still got your scholarship- and I _know _you'll figure out some way to prove your innocence. Evie's Dad… her and I were talking and we need to talk to him but I'm sure he was just doing what he thought best for his daughter."

"What about Richard?" Sophie asked, apparently not willing to give up proving her point.

"He was talking to Mom but I think I need to go explain things to him myself. Are you okay?" He didn't really want to leave her how she was but Richard deserved an explanation.

"I'm fine," Sophie assured him, "I've still got to call Dani then I might go back and say hi to Eric."

"He's with Lucy and Chris now, I think they went to the café," Jason told her, scanning the hospital to find them.

"Right, thanks, Jase," Sophie leaned in to hug him again quickly before heading down to the floor below.

Jason took a few moments to prepare himself for what he was going to have to do then stood up decisively, hoping Richard hadn't already confronted Clark.

He was only a little too late, he discovered as he turned the corner. Lois had disappeared somewhere, a quick glance upwards showed her sitting with Ella. Richard was standing in the TV room with his arms crossed, glaring at Clark. "So why, Clark?" he was asking angrily, "Why did you keep this from me?"

"I asked him not to." Both men turned ito Jason as he stood in the door looking serious. "Richard- it wasn't Clark's fault. _I_ asked him not to tell you who he was."

"Jas-"

"Dad, I'm _twenty-six_," Jason interrupted Clark with a sigh, "let me take responsibility for my own decisions."

There was a heavy silence before Richard rubbed his temples and looked back to his son-turned-nephew. "Jason..." he searched the man's face for some hint that he was lying to protect Lois or Clark and that he hadn't been the one to deny Richard the truth but he couldn't find anything other than honesty.

"I think _we_ should be the ones talking," Jason suggested, "Dad..."

Clark just nodded and looked back at Richard for a moment, his eyes still asking for forgiveness but Richard refused to return his gaze.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so I had a lot of stuff I wanted in this chapter but it turned so big I've split it into the next _three_ chapters. So if you're sitting there going 'has she completely forgotten about *insert people/place/problem here*?' the answer is probably no (if what you wanted to see hasn't happened by the end of Ch19 then you may write me angry reviews :P).


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen: _Answers_**

* * *

"So, why?" Richard asked, breaking the awkward silence in the empty hospital room Jason had chosen for their talk.

"Da- Clark wanted to tell you," Jason said, sidestepping the questions for the moment. "I think you should know that. I asked him not to tell you and that was the only reason he didn't."

"Okay." Richard nodded. "I understand."

"And now you're wondering why I asked him not to."

"Kind of." Richard nodded again. "We're you worried about how I'd feel about having… lost- for lack of a better word- to Superman?"

"I think when I was little that might have been part of it," Jason agreed, "but most of it was that I was afraid you'd feel bad about not being my real Dad."

"I always knew I wasn't your real father. Biological father actually," he corrected, "I always considered myself your real father."

"Me too," Jason told him, "but my biological dad being just another guy was different than him being, well, an alien."

"Jason, it didn't matter to me at all who had helped make you. In fact when I lived with Lois I was grateful to the man for helping bring me you."

Jason sighed. "I just… when Clark came back everything was different. You and Mom weren't living together anymore and then he moved in and… Everything was different but I didn't want you to see _me_ differently."

"But surely when you grew up you realised I'd just be proud of you no matter what?" Richard asked, frowning in confusion.

Jason bit his lip. "I knew I was being stupid and irrational," he admitted, "but I couldn't help but think that the longer it went on the harder it would be to admit I'd kept it from you all these years." He closed his eyes for a moment then looked straight back up. "I thought you'd be angry at me. I was- I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me any more because I'd kept it from you."

Richard merely gaped at him. He didn't think he'd heard anything more absurd in his life- this probably even topped finding out Clark was Superman. He struggled to find words for a few moments but couldn't figure out the right ones. "That's-" he shook his head, "-that's ridiculous, Jason," he finally managed to get out.

"I know," Jason sighed, "but the thing about irrational fears is that they're irrational. I was five years old and my whole world was changing and even though I had Clark I still wanted you to be my Dad as well then… I left it so long and..."

He couldn't bring himself to look at Richard and was staring at his feet the whole time. So it came as a complete surprise when he was pulled to his feet and enveloped in a hug. "Jason," Richard told him firmly as he stepped back and look him in the eye, "I will always love you as a son, nothing could ever change that."

Jason couldn't speak for a moment he was so overwhelmed. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you," he said finally. "I knew you wouldn't care but… I didn't want anything to change with us."

"It won't," Richard promised him. After a few moments of pensive silence Richard sighed and shook his head. "You know, I was so _mad_ at Clark when I found out. I thought this was some kind of deliberate attempt by him to steal you away from me."

"What?" Jason looked shocked and Richard laughed.

"I know, I know," he said, shaking his head again, "I guess you're not the only one with irrational ideas. I even yelled at Tomoko when she tried to calm me down."

"Bet she didn't take that too well," Jason said with a chuckle, thinking of his strong-willed aunt.

"No," Richard agreed with a laugh, "snapped me right out of it."

"So how long are you here?" Jason asked, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"We're planning to stay about three weeks. I promised Eric I'd take him around the city properly next time we came. Didn't expect it to be so soon though."

"No," Jason agreed, "I don't this anyone expected this. You can stay longer, you know," he told him, "It's not like you really have to worry about flights anymore."

"No," Richard said with a laugh ,"I guess I don't."

* * *

Clark wasn't aware he'd even fallen asleep until he found himself waking up in the chair next to Ella's bed. He remembered sitting down for a moment just to be with her and meaning to get up after a minute or so to talk to her doctor again.

Clearly his sleep deprived body had had other ideas. While he didn't need as much as humans, apparently three sleepless nights in a row, coupled with the stress they were all going through, was too much even for him.

He glanced a the clock and noted he'd only been asleep for about half an hour. Sometime when he'd been out Chris had joined him and was fast asleep on his lap. Clark sighed as he held his son close to him, he must have been really out if he hadn't noticed the boy come in.

But something had woken him now. The curtains were pulled and the sun was coming in, but that hadn't been it. He looked around the room, wondering what had caused his return to consciousness and felt his heart skip a beat as Ella moved again.

"Hey." Clark couldn't keep the smile off his face as his daughter's eyes fluttered open.

"Hi," she replied softly, frowning slightly, "I can't feel below my arms."

"You'll get better soon," Clark told her, gently shifting a still sleeping Chris off him so he could get up and hold is daughter's hand. "Do you remember what happened?"

Ella nodded. "Yeah," she sighed, closing her eyes, "weird- the first thing they say on TV is like..." she trailed off breathing deeply and for a moment Clark thought she was asleep again but then she muttered, "'what happened?'- but I remember going for milk and the guy with the knife... no amnesia for Ella..." This time Clark could tell she had gone back to sleep and he was so giddy with relief that she'd woken up and been lucid and coherent enough to remember that he just stood by her side for almost two minutes before going to find Lois and the other kids to tell them the news.

"Can you move your toes?" the doctor asked.

Ella dutifully wiggled her toes, and Clark couldn't help smiling in relief when the doctor nodded in approval.

"Well, it's early yet, but at the rate you're healing I don't think this will have any long term damage. Perhaps the scar might be a little sore for a while but other than that your progress is remarkable. You're a lucky young woman."

"The kryptonite didn't do any extra damage then?" Lois asked from the other side of Ella's hospital bad.

"It doesn't seem like it," the doctor assured them, "although I don't really have anything to compare it to so I can't be sure. She's healing at a very accelerated rate, which I assume is due to the abilities she inherited from you-" he nodded toward Clark "- but who's to say she wouldn't have healed even faster if the knife had not splintered?"

"When can I go home?" Ella asked, now much more awake than she had been previously. The sun was pouring through the window and after another hour's sleep since she had woken the first time she was completely awake and energised.

However the doctor still didn't seem as enthusiastic. "I would still like to keep you under observation until Friday afternoon," he told her and her parents. "Just to be sure, since you're not completely human, we're in new territory and we just want to be careful."

"Oh, okay," Ella muttered, suddenly sounding a lot more subdued.

"Don't worry, El." Clark took her hand. "It's only two more days and we'll stay with you the whole time."

"Don't you have... you know, things to do?" Ella asked with a frown.

"Actually your big brothers have taken over that for a while," Lois told her with pride obvious in her voice. "Your father was so worried about you Jason and Dean are filling in for now."

The doctor, sensing the conversation would be moving on to personal matters that didn't concern him, excused himself from the room.

"Who are they?" Ella asked, nodding to the two men she spotted outside her door before they swung shut.

"Those are your guards," he mother informed her, "we each have two of Metropolis' finest keeping an eye on us. Your ones are obvious but I don't think Henderson knows we're aware of ours."

"We do?" Clark was surprised by this piece of news, he hadn't noticed himself, or any of the older kids being tailed around the hospital.

"Even you flyboy," Lois confirmed, "surprised you didn't notice already."

"Losing your touch, Dad?" Ella joked, sharing a laugh with Lois.

Clark frowned and searched back through his memory, now that he knew what to look for he realised there had been two particular officers who had always seemed to just happen to be in the same place as he had been.

"I'm not sure whether to be annoyed or pleased," he said, shaking his head and making a note to pay more attention in future, no matter how much else he had to think about. Obviously these men were to be trusted but what if they had been like the man who'd attacked Ella? He needed to pay more attention so that no one else was hurt because of him.

"Why on Earth would you be annoyed?" Lois asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. "At least someone is willing to help and hasn't forgotten how much you've done for the world over the years."

Clark didn't get a chance to respond as the door opened and five more people entered.

"Ella, how are you?" Lucy rushed forward first and stopped abruptly, "Can I hug you or will it hurt?"

"Gently," Ella told her sister, holding her arms out.

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked, moving forward and carrying Chris with him.

"What are you all doing in here?" Clark asked in confusion, "Ella needs rest, not five more people barging in and crowding her room."

"It's fine, Dad," Ella told him, giving Chris a hug. "How's it going kiddo?"

"The doctor said she was up for visitors," Sophie protested, only giving her sister a quick hug before moving back to the corner.

"Soph and I just popped in quickly," Jason assured him, moving forward for his turn to hug his sister. "Sorry, Ella, we'll be back soon but we wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thanks guys," Ella said, "and Dad, I feel fine. I've been sleeping for almost a day."

"Mom was going to come with me anyway," Sophie said, "we're going to talk to the cops again."

"They got the guy who stabbed me right?"

"Sophie got him actually," Dean told his little sister, "you should've seen her."

"I suppose I need to talk to Commissioner Henderson as well. If she says she's getting tired, you let her sleep okay?" Clark told Lucy, Dean and Chris sternly as Lois and Sophie left.

"Dad, I'm right here," Ella sighed, "If I need to sleep I'll kick them out, I promise."

"Okay, then," Clark agreed, still reluctant but Ella looked so happy to see everyone that he didn't want to make them go anyway.

She was healing remarkably as well. Once the kryptonite had been pulled out of her the wound went from fresh to looking almost weeks old in a few hours. It had still been one of the most frightening things he'd ever been through in his life.

He had known something like this could- now _would_ happen if his secret was ever exposed but he hadn't expected it to be so soon. And his children had been the ones to pay the price for his arrogance.

"Kent!" a voice behind him called and he turned to see Henderson coming towards him.

"I was just looking for you," Clark greeted the Commissioner, "I wanted to thank you for everything you're doing for my family."

Henderson raised his eyebrows. "You mean our job?" he asked.

"I mean everything," Clark replied, nodding towards the two policemen down the hall who were doing an alright job of acting natural but not quite good enough to fool an experienced journalist- now that he knew what to look for.

Henderson laughed, "I may be getting old Kent, but I'm not going senile. It'd take a lot more than a secret identity to let me forget the number of my men who wouldn't be here if not for you."

"I hardly need my own personal guards though," Clark reminded him.

"I hope you don't need them," Henderson agreed, "We've got people on all the doors but this is one of the busiest hospitals in the city, we can't just shut it down and we can't be too careful, not after how easily that other guy is claiming he got hold of that kryptonite."

"He's awake?"

"Awake and talking," Henderson confirmed. "I was just talking to your wife and other daughter. We had thought we'd have a bit of a legal fight on our hands but he's not shy about confessing he meant to kill Eleanor."

"Is that good?" Clark asked in confusion at Henderson's pleased tone.

"In a way," the Commissioner told him, "it means Sophie will have no trouble proving she was well within her rights to kill him If she'd needed to."

"I think that would have been a bad idea," Clark commented, thinking of several news reports he'd seen that were trying to whip up fear about the existence of six part-Kryptonians.

"There are plenty of us that support you," Henderson assured him, "it just seems the ones that don't are a lot more vocal about it."

"And they make a better news story," Clark agreed.

"Huh, well, I guess you'd know." The Commissioner sighed as he looked at his watch. "Look, I've got to get going. The media may want us to think so but the world has not stopped turning in the past three days and I have work to do."

"Thank you," Clark said, the words not seeming enough for how much the police seemed to be willing to help his family.

"Don't thank us," Henderson told him, "this is a small thing compared to how much you've given to the whole world. I just hope everyone else realises it too."

Clark felt the first real surge of hope he'd had since Monday as Commissioner Henderson walked away. He was right of course, there were people out there who still liked him and didn't want to harm his family, but they didn't make a good story.

"Umm, excuse me, Mr. Kent… Superman?"

Clark turned to see a young, nervous looking nurse holding a copy of the _Daily Planet_. Across the top he could see the words SPECIAL EDITION printed in bold.

"They just delivered these, I thought you might want to read one." She blushed as Clark took it from her. "I mean, not that you wouldn't know what they say but there's lots of stuff in there from other people and some of it's nice so-"

"Thank you," Clark interrupted her gently, making sure she took a breath before she passed out.

"You're welcome." She nodded then almost sprinted away down the hall.

Clark frowned as he glanced at his reflection in a nearby window. He wasn't wearing his glasses but in jeans and a T-shirt with his hair left untouched he thought he looked more like Clark than Superman. But even the doctors were treating him with the respect and awe Superman always commanded.

It had always made him rather uncomfortable and it still did. Of course, the difference now was that it was happening all the time rather than just when he was in the red, blue and yellow.

"You got one too?"

Clark looked up to see Jason coming towards him waving his own copy of the special edition of the _Planet._

"Haven't had a chance to read it yet." Clark shrugged, looking down at the picture on the front he'd come to know far too well over the past three days. His brown work suit in shreds and the bright blue and red revealed for the world to see.

"Page 4," Jason told him, "down the bottom. That's where you should start."

Clark turned past the numerous pictures of him in either his glasses or cape and to a small article in the corner of page 4. There was a small picture next to it of Owen Taylor, their next-door neighbour who had been less than neighbourly to them yesterday.

"Read it," Jason insisted.

Clark read. _"Owen and Tina Taylor moved into the apartment next-door to the Kents six years ago with their then seven-year-old daughter, Katherine. "They made us feel welcome right away," Mrs. Taylor told the _Daily Planet. _"They'd baby-sit Kathy if we had to go out and I would look after the twins and Chris sometimes."_

_"Of course it was a huge surprise," Mr. Taylor said of Monday's shock revelation. "Finding out the man we'd been living next to was Superman. I'm afraid I was a bit short with him on Tuesday over it actually."_

_"No, no, he had every right to keep his secrets," Mr. Taylor said of Clark Kent. "It was the kids you see. Children can be careless sometimes and I'd left my Kathy with those kids and their super-strength and I was worried she might've been hurt."_

_"She never was," Mrs. Taylor commented. Her husband agreed, "I thought about it," he said, "and I realised Clark'd never have let Kathy play with his kids if he thought there was the slightest chance she'd get hurt. So I would like to get the chance to apologise soon."_

_However, Mr. Taylor is not alone in his fears. Mr. Hills, whose son attends the same school as Christopher Kent…_

Clark stopped reading after that and looked back up at Jason who was smiling. "See?" he told his father, "some people just need a little time. And there's actually a ton of stuff from firemen, cops and paramedics who are completely on your side."

"I-"

"And," Jason rushed on, "apparently not everyone at the _Planet _hates you either. Although there are some nasty chain e-mails going around about how blind they were. There are also interviews from random people on the street who are on our side and-"

"Jason," Clark interrupted him, wondering what was getting into everyone that they fel the need to try and explain themselves so thoroughly. "Thank you, Commissioner Henderson was just telling me the same thing. I did get the message."

"Good." Jason nodded. "And it gets better. There were some people on the news a bit concerned about how you can't possibly be a proper citizen and all that and how the government should freeze your back accounts and other stupid things."

"What?" Clark felt his jaw drop in disbelief.

"Don't worry," Jason held up his hands, "I decided to go down to the bank quickly and check it out. Now, obviously they couldn't go into details, you'll need to visit yourself for that, but they did say everything's fine with them. You used a legitimate passport to open your accounts and you got your passport by presenting perfectly legitimate adoption papers. According to the bank, and I suppose the rest of the law, Clark Kent is legally a citizen of the United States and entitled to the same rights as everyone else."

"Well that's a relief I guess," Clark sighed. He knew some people might not take too well to the idea that an alien was entitled to the same rights as them but if Jason was right there wouldn't be much they could do. He made a note to check with Sophie to be certain.

"I called Smallville as well. Mom told me you were worried about them."

"You did?" Clark asked, "What's going on there? I really should go out and help myself. What did they say?"

"Well, after I got past _them _worrying about _you_," Jason started, sounding amused, "they told me that the media there is pretty much under control. The Harrisons were afraid of trespassers, living in your old house and all, but the Sheriff went out there and so far the news vans haven't come past the gate." Jason looked like he was about to say something more but had stopped himself.

"What?" Clark asked, not willing to let it go. "Jason, tell me everything."

Jason sighed. "Someone stole the 'Kent Farm' sign. Uncle Pete thinks they were looking to sell it on the internet or something."

Clark stepped abruptly backwards in shock. He felt almost as if someone had punched him in the gut. "Stolen?" he asked, his voice barely audible. "My father made that sign."

He remembered sitting in the barn as a young boy, watching Jonathan carve out the letters on the piece of wood. The old one had blown off during a storm and Clark had felt very grown up when he was allowed to help his Dad screw the new sign onto its post at the end of the driveway. The Harrisons had promised not to replace it when they'd moved in. Everyone knew it as the Kent Farm anyway they'd pointed out, there was no point in changing it.

"I know, I'm sorry, Dad."

"It's okay," Clark sighed, getting a grip on himself. "No one was hurt. It's just a sign… I just can't believe someone took it."

"I know," Jason agreed, "but there's stuff all over the internet. Sophie's roommate told her there's over a thousand items tagged 'Kent' on eBay already."

"Okay." Clark nodded slowly as he digested that information. "That's not really important right now."

"No," Jason agreed, "we can worry about it later. I think we should have a family meeting in Ella's room. Just to try and figure things out."

Clark frowned. "Jason, Ella needs to rest -"

"She's sleeping right now," Jason assured him. "Lucy and Chris left and Dean's sitting with her but she said she really wanted to be a part of it."

"I suppose it is a _family_ meeting," Clark relented, "but we have to keep it short. I don't want her to have to stay here any longer than necessary."

"I don't think any of us want to stay here any more than we have to. Chris didn't really want to join in though, Richard took Eric and him to the rec room downstairs."

"Right," Clark said slowly, "I know it's between you and him but…"

"Everything's fine, Dad," Jason told him, "we talked and he knows you were just respecting my wishes by not telling him."

"That's good… and between you two?" he asked, knowing it wasn't really his place but he still needed to make sure Jason was happy.

"We're good too, Dad, don't worry."

Clark sighed and ruffled Jason's hair like he used to when he was a boy. "Jason, I'm your father, it's my job to worry," he informed him calmly as his now twenty-seven year old son ducked away and fixed his hair.

"Dad," he complained with a pout, "I'm just about to go find Evelyn. Now I look scruffy."

* * *

Evelyn pulled her jacket more tightly around her as a chill wind blew over the roof of the hospital. Her phone was held tightly to her ear and she was half hoping the ringing on the other end would terminate in an answering phone rather than her mother's voice.

No such luck though as a bright voice on the other side answered. "Hello? Lorene speaking."

"Hey, Mom, it's Evelyn," she said over the wind.

"Oh, darling, it's so good to hear from you," he mother cried, "I heard about Jason's poor sister, is that where you are?"

"Yeah, I'm at the hospital with him." She frowned, not wanting to ask her next question but deciding to just get it over with. "Is Dad there?" Her mother was silent for a while and Evelyn sighed. "He's there isn't he?"

"He's in the shower right now but if you want to talk to him-"

"No!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I mean, not right now," she tried to correct herself. "Just tell him I need to talk to him about what he did."

"I'll tell him," her mother promised her, "But you should go easy on him. His moods have been really strange lately," her mother sighed. "He would have only meant it for the best."

Evelyn just sighed. "Mom, if Dad only wants me to be happy he should be supporting me. Jason makes me happy, that's why I'm marrying him."

"I know, dear, just don't be too hard on him will you?"

"Bye, Mom," Evelyn told her, refusing to talk anymore about her father.

"Everything alright?" Jason asked from behind her.

Evelyn jumped but relaxed and leaned into his warmth when he wrapped his arm around her. "Just more family trouble." She turned in his arms until she was facing him. "I've also-" she broke off with an amused frown- "what happened to your hair?"

"I- it- _Dad_," Jason muttered angrily as he stepped back and tried to fix it again.

"Don't worry," Evelyn told him, giggling at the sight, "you look fine."

"Nevermind," he huffed, "what were you going to say?"

"Just that I think I need to be back in New York soon. Work isn't that happy about me taking time off so suddenly."

"I don't want you to lose your job- but I am glad you did come," Jason told her. "The doctor thinks Ella should be out by Friday, she's healing really fast. Although she'll probably still be in bed until Monday at the earliest."

"That's good to hear," Evelyn said with obvious relief. "But you know I didn't come here just for Ella."

"I know." Jason leaned down to kiss her lightly. "Thank you. I just came up here to tell you Dad just got back and we're having a family meeting in Ella's room. We need to be dealing with this together."

"Okay." Evelyn nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

"You're invited too," Jason told her, "I mean, you are going to be part of the family soon."

"Thanks," Evelyn said, feeling touched by the offer, "but now she's awake and you're okay I feel like I might be getting in the way a little."

"You're not-" her fiancée started but she stopped him before he could finish.

"Jason, I really think I should be getting back to New York anyway. This is a family thing but I don't see my place in it."

"Are you sure you'll be aright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine, it's not my picture that's on the TV."

"Alright then," Jason agreed, "just please be careful and don't hesitate to call me okay?"

Evelyn just smiled and kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Jason told her, "now hold on."

* * *

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Clark asked Ella, surveying the crowded room in concern.

"I'm fine, Dad," she said with a exasperated sigh as Lucy and Dean helped prop her up with pillows. "My side doesn't even hurt right now."

"We should still keep this short anyway."

"I need to go back to Harvard anyway," Sophie said, "so short is fine."

"And I want to join Evelyn back in New York as well, don't worry Dad, well let Ella sleep soon," Jason promised him.

"I'm not tired," Ella protested.

"You still need to be resting," Clark told her. "So let's get on with it."

"Has everyone seen the special edition newspapers?" Lois asked, holding up her copy of the _Planet_.

"I think everything in the _Planet _is fine," Dean said, flipping through his copy, "some of it's actually nice."

"The _Planet_'s fine, but _this_ concerns me," Jason said, holding up a copy of the _Inquisitor_. "it's got a list of how much of Dad's abilities we've all got."

"Many," Sophie corrected him automatically, "and so? Every paper aside from the _Planet_ does."

"They're guesses- this one's actually right." Jason turned it around and held up the page for them to see. "It's got that Dean, Soph and me have all them-"

"Which is no surprise after that apartment fire and Jason and Dean's stuff last night," Lucy added.

"Does anyone know what's happening with that fire by the way?" Sophie wondered out loud. "They got the arsonists right?"

"They did," Jason told her, "and I'm sure they'll contact us if they need to. But back to this." He held up the paper again. "They've even got that Lucy and- hey- 'Eleanor'-"

"Glad to see they fixed that at least, right _Ellen_?" Lucy muttered, sharing a smile with her twin as they remembered the initial confusion over her name.

"- have all of them except for flying and Chris has none."

Lois raised her eyebrows. "Not sure whether I'm more surprised that it's right or that it's in the _Inquisitor._ It is a bit worrying though."

"Is it possible it's just a lucky guess?" Dean asked, putting down the _Planet _to look at the other paper over his brother's shoulder.

"Even if it is just _saying_ things like Chris having none could still be dangerous," Jason said, shaking his head.

"Meaning people will stop stabbing me and go after him instead," Ella commented from the bed.

Clark instinctively zoned his hearing in on his youngest son's heartbeat and quickly x-rayed through the walls. He relaxed slightly as he found him still playing with Eric and Richard. He also noted the two policemen who just 'happened' to be loitering outside the room and felt calmer as he remembered Henderson's assurances.

He tuned back in just as Lois was speaking. "-think we should schedule a press conference either today or tomorrow morning."

"A press conference?" Jason repeated, looking surprised.

Lois nodded. "We've been talking and we think that's the best move."

Clark continued. "People are curious but they're also afraid. The first thing I did as Superman was to talk to Lois so she could tell people I wasn't here to hurt anyone and I was willing to answer their questions."

"What about Ralph's interview?" Dean asked, looking up from the Special Edition of the _Planet_.

"That was in-depth and covered a lot," Lois admitted, "but it was for the newspaper we worked for. A press conference will allow everyone to ask their question and show we're not hiding anything."

"Perry's already said that having me work for the _Planet _now the truth's out with probably make sales skyrocket," Clark told his family. "If the only people we talk to is the _Planet _how can we convince people everything they read is the truth."

"Because if you're going to be that good for sales people will think Uncle Perry is publishing only what you let him so you don't quit," Sophie stated, realization dawning on her face.

"Exactly." Clark nodded. "So we have to give everyone a chance."

"No we don't," Ella muttered quietly but everyone heard anyway.

"Ella, I think-" Clark began but his daughter cut him off.

"We don't, Dad," she insisted. "We don't have to explain anything to these people. They should be grateful for what you've done for them for so long instead of demanding answers."

The was a tense silence after her words. Dean was the first to break it. "I agree with Ella," he said quietly, "there _are_ people who have right to have their questions answered- Like Uncle Richard-" he nodded toward Jason "- and maybe a few of our closer friends. But the media don't really deserve answers."

"But the _people_ do," Clark told him. "The people of Metropolis have trusted me for years and now they feel I've betrayed that trust."

"How?" Ella asked, "By having a _life_?"

"More like 'by having kids'," Jason said, shaking his head. "That's what you mean it's it?" he asked Lois and Clark.

"Yes," Lois answered bluntly, "that's big part of it. Now that the initial shock has worn off, people want to know about you lot. Obviously there's a lot of worry over the fact that you all have, or will one day have, your father's abilities. Some people are scared that you might not turn out to be as good as Superman is. And, being completely honest, a lot are just plain curious about the fact that you're the first ever half-human hybrids."

"Oh, great," Ella muttered bitterly.

Lucy gave her an odd look before turning back to her parents and asking, "So what are you going to tell them?"

"As little as possible," Clark assured them, "I said you kids were off limits and I meant it."

"Apparently, _some people_," Lois muttered, taking the _Inquisitor_ from Jason and holding it up, "need reminding of the fact."

* * *

**A/N:** Remember what I said about three chapters? If you are concerned I've forgotten something do feel free to tell me though. Also, to those of you who requested oneshots and are still waiting, don't worry! I haven't forgotten, I just underestimated the amount of stress summer exams would give me. They are on their way. New poll on my profile page! Have a look and vote if you want.

PS- only 8 more reviews and we're on 200... just saying...

Reviews are love!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **I was trying to avoid doing it but this chapter had to be split into two parts. Mainly to keep me **sane** because I tackle them better in smaller chunks and this one was getting so big it was driving me round the bend. This isn't quite like the three chapters fitting closely together I mentioned before. This is pretty much part one and two of the same chapter, even they're actually quite separate (or else I wouldn't have been able to spilt them). I hope to have the other part up tomorrow or the day after at the latest.

But in the meantime…  
**  
Chapter Nineteen: _Get Back Up Again (Part One)_**

* * *

"-and of course I got _all _the homework you missed so you won't fall behind," Kimberly Koe told her friend Ella as she helped the girl into some real clothes.

"Ummm…" Ella frowned as she shrugged on her jacket, pleased to be out of the horrible hospital gowns. "Thanks."

"I am, of course, kidding," Kim told her, laughing as she saw the look on Ella's face. "It's not like you haven't got enough on your plate already. And besides, I only went yesterday- I was here Wednesday and given it's 11am on a Friday morning I probably won't bother today either."

"Oh, good," Ella sighed in relief, she wouldn't have been too surprised if her friend had collected missed homework for her but she was glad she hadn't. Now she had the weekend at least to prepare for more schoolwork.

"It was so scary though," Kim continued, "when I heard you'd been attacked." She shook her head. "I was so freaked out."

"I'm fine now though," Ella assured her. "Dad's even saying he'll probably let me go back to school on Monday."

"Because of your super-healing powers?" Kim asked with a grin, "that must be so cool. Remember when I broke my arm last year? I had a cast for six weeks. You get freaking stabbed and are up and out in less that a week. Life is so unfair," she sighed, retrieving Ella's shoes from the bag Lois had bought in that morning.

"Yeah, so what's been going on at school then?" she asked, changing the subject. "On Thursday at least."

"It actually calmed down pretty quickly, well at least around the school. The news trucks are gone and most of the kids who didn't go because of them were back on Thursday. By the way..." Her voice changed suddenly, becoming slightly higher, and her face broke into a grin. "Had you talked to Theodore Gregg much before Tuesday?"

"When he was poking me with that pencil in math?" Ella raised her eyebrows. "We did a science project together last year but we don't really talk. Why?"

Kim shrugged. "No reason really," she said in a tone that told Ella very clearly she had a very good reason.

"C'mon, Kim." She narrowed her eyes at her supposed best friend, glad to have something normal to concentrate on. "Why?"

Kim shrugged again. "He was sort of asking after you. I mean, everyone was," she corrected herself, "but he seemed… _really_ concerned," she added with a smirk, the emphasis making it clear what she meant.

"He did?" Ella asked with a frown, not sure how she felt about that.

"Oh my God!" Kim's mouth dropped. "You're actually thinking about it?"

"No!" Ella exclaimed, hurrying to backtrack before her gossip loving friend got any ideas. "I don't like him or anything, especially not after the way he acted on Tuesday."

"Really? Because you seemed kind of interested," Kim teased.

"Kim, I do _not_ like him," Ella insisted, laughing as the other girl waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "And especially not like that!"

"Who don't we like?" Dean asked, looking confused as he entered to find the two teenagers giggling madly.

"Just this guy at school Kim reckons is into me," Ella sighed, shaking her head, it felt good to talk about something so normal again.

"Really? Do I need to pay him a visit then? Tell him what's what if he wants to date my little sister?"

Ella laughed again, fully aware that her brother was only half-joking. "For the last time, I am. Not. Interested," she said, directing the last two word pointedly at Kim. "Especially not in some guy who thinks the best way to get my attention is to poke me with a pencil."

"I'm not going to ask," Dean decided, shaking his head as the two girls giggled again. "Okay, so we're meeting on the roof in ten minutes. Mom's just filled out all the forms to get you out of here but Uncle Perry called her and she has to go to work for a bit so Dad, Jason and I are going to take you guys back the apartment."

"Awesome!" Kim grinned. "We're actually going to fly?"

"Statistically speaking it is the safest way to travel," Ella told her, sharing a smile with her brother as she recited the old family joke.

Kim raised her eyebrows as she looked from one to the other. "I know I missed something there," she said, shaking her head, "but I'll go fetch a wheelchair for you, El, then we can go."

"I can walk," Ella protested with a frown, "I feel fine."

"Hospital policy," Kim told her, shaking her head, "when my Dad was her getting his appendix out they wouldn't let him go anywhere without one."

"That's a good idea," Dean agreed, "I'll wait here with Ella."

"Back in a mo'," Kim chirped, practically skipping out of the room with a cheerful, "Hi, officers!" to the policemen outside the door.

"So where is everyone else?" Ella asked, afraid she knew the real reason Dean had gotten rid of Kim and eager to avoid the subject.

"Mom's at the _Planet _like I said before, Dad's just dropped Chris off at the apartment with Lucy, Eric and Uncle Richard, Jason's just on his way from New York, Sophie's…" he frowned, tilting his head in the way he did when listening to something far away. "She was with Dad but now she's in Rohde Island, helping with a car crash."

"Maybe you should go help too?" Ella suggested, hoping her attempt to avoid talking with him alone wasn't too obvious. Talking with Kim had put her in a good mood and she knew talking with Dean was bound to do the opposite.

"No, she's fine," Dean said, shaking his head. "She's just left now actually, on her way back to Harvard."

"What's it like?" Ella asked in another attempt to delay the subject she knew he would soon bring up but also with genuine curiosity. "Finally being out there, helping, without worrying about blowing the secret?"

Dean shrugged. "It's… not what I expected," he said slowly. "But then again, when I used to think about it, I never imagined the whole world would know who Dad actually was."

Ella nodded, she understood that, when she was younger she used to imagine making her own super-suit one day and fighting crime as a masked hero, or maybe donning glasses in her civilian life and using the, now useless, disguise her Dad had. And she would have been Supergirl, not Ella Kent.

Now she wasn't sure she wanted any of that at all.

"You're still the number one story on the television," Dean told her, nodding towards the one in the corner of her room, which was blank at the moment. "I think Lucy's jealous."

"Jealous of not being the one knifed by a maniac?" Ella asked, shaking her head, "I think the media is blowing it out of proportion. Three days in a hospital is hardly a big deal," she said, shaking her head, "I don't even need a wheelchair."

"Ella, you were in surgery for three hours and they honestly didn't think you'd make it for the first two," Dean informed her quietly. "It was only once your recovery _started_ that it went quick. Before that we weren't even sure you'd recover at all. You have no idea how messed up Dad was while we waited." He walked to the window and looked up at the sun. "It was scary, seeing him come undone like that," he said so quietly Ella wasn't sure if he was still talking to her or just himself now.

"I guess it just shows how important keeping the secret really was then, doesn't it?" Ella said after Dean was silent for a while. "At least no one should be asking _why_ he never told now."

Dean nodded but didn't reply. After a moment he turned back to Ella and sighed. "Ella, I think we need talk about what you said on Tuesday."

"No, we don't," she said firmly, her good mood from before finally vanishing completely. "Just forget I ever said anything at all."

"El…" Dean sighed, "I can't do that. I just want to help."

"It would be _helpful_ for you to forget everything I told you," Ella said again, not looking at him.

"Ella, I think you need to talk about this," Dean insisted, "I mean, I think it will help if you do. For starters, Kryptonians and humans really aren't as different as you might think. Or else we wouldn't even exist."

"Like horses and donkeys?"

"Yes."

"So you're calling us mules?" Ella shook her head, she was smart enough to already know her parents wouldn't have been able to even have kids if they were that different. It didn't change how she felt.

"No," Dean sighed, wincing at her tone, "What I mean is there has to be a _reason_ you feel like this and if that's not it…"

"Dean-" Ella started again but she broke off as the door opened and Kim re-entered, pushing a wheelchair.

"Found one," she announced, "I had to get one from upstairs because I couldn't find them on this floor. Your Dad's coming in a minute too and-" she stopped as she looked up and noticed the serious looks on the siblings' faces. "Oh, did I interrupt something?"

"No," Ella told her, forcing a smile, "nothing important."

* * *

Sophie expected the crowd of gawkers outside her student apartment near Harvard. What she didn't expect was to see a small chest of drawers tumble out of the window to the cheers of the crowd. They only lived on the third floor so it didn't shatter but it did crumple beyond repair. The crowd applauded, and it was then Sophie noticed the shattered remnants of many other objects on the footpath.

She shook her head and decided to go around the back entrance to find out what was going on. She tried to remember if throwing things out of a window onto the street was illegal. Well, it obviously was but no one was hurt… yet.

What on Earth was Dani doing?

"Danielle Green, what do you think you're doing?" Sophie asked sharply as she entered the apartment, trying to remember exactly how Dani's mother sounded when she was angry.

Dani yelled and jumped a foot in the air, dropping the digital alarm clock she'd been carrying towards the window. "My god, Sophie," she yelped, placing a hand over her heart. "Have you ever considered wearing a bell?"

"Huh?" Sophie asked, hardly listening, "Dani, what on earth-"

"Do anything interesting on your way up?" her roommate asked, as if she hadn't heard her speak.

"There was a five car pileup in Rohde Island that I helped with," Sophie told her distractedly, "but what-"

"I said anything _interesting_?" Dani repeated, interrupting her questions again.

"Well, I did have to push a guy's eyes back into his head," she said casually, putting her confusion aside for a moment to see if she could shock her friend.

"Really?" her roommate asked, looking intrigued rather than disgusted like a normal person.

"Yup," Sophie replied, shuddering as she remembered the feel of the poor man's eyeballs on her fingers. "They'd just popped almost right out."

"Sounds like ocular distension- when a moving object hits a solid object and the impact forces the eyes out of socket," she recited as if reading from a textbook before grinning at her friend, "Cool."

"It was kinda gross, actually," Sophie told her, "but let's get back to _why you're throwing our apartment out into the street_!"

"Not all of it," Dani explained as she picked up a pillow and tossed it out the window. "Just the stuff tainted by the backstabbing, money-hungry bitch we used to call a roommate."

"Natalie's stuff." Sophie realised as a pile of clothing followed the pillow.

"Yup." Dani nodded. "I figured seen as she stole that tape of home movies from your room and sold it to the press for a tidy little profit, she doesn't really need all this junk." She punctuated the last word by heaving a pile of lecture notes out onto the street. "Let's see you pass without those, you greedy whore," she muttered.

"Okay," Sophie rushed to grab another pile of notes before they followed the other ones. "while I don't object as much as I feel I should to you destroying most of her personal possessions, don't completely destroy her life."

"And why the hell not?" Dani asked, even as she placed the rest of Natalie's study notes back on the table.

"Because we have more important things to worry about."

"True, true," Dani sighed, shaking her head. "So, I gather by the fact you're here, Ella is alright?"

Sophie nodded, impressed at how well the news was being kept from the media. "She's going home today, it was a bit touch and go at the start but she's fine now." Not completely of course but Sophie didn't want to go into all the details of her sister's sudden bipolar-ness and strange ideas.

"That's good to hear." Dani took a break from destroying Natalie's possessions to sit next to Sophie on the couch. "And they got the guy right?"

Sophie nodded. "Yeah, we got him." She closed her eyes as she remembered the sickening crunch of bones as the man impacted the wall where she threw him. "The cops have offered him a deal," she continued, pushing it out of her mind, "he pleads guilty and gives them the name of the guy he got the kryptonite from and the judge will give him a lighter sentence."

"So…" Dani frowned as if she was trying to think of a proper way to ask her question. "You're safe here right? I mean, if that guy could come after you guys a _day_ after everyone found out…"

"I'm not really sure," Sophie sighed, "but honestly, there's only one thing in the world that can hurt us, _you_ could die walking out of the apartment and tripping on the stairs," she pointed out.

"Wow, thanks," Dani muttered, rolling her eyes.

"You get what I mean," Sophie said, getting up because she felt she should be doing more than just sitting. "Besides, the cops think the guy that attacked us just got lucky. Kryptonite is pretty rare and the there's really no way to tell the New Kryptonite, the stuff that can hurt us, from the normal stuff, which can only really affect Dad."

"Hmm, true," Dani agreed, "the New Kryptonite's the stuff they got from the harbour right? After that New Krypton island thing."

"Yeah." Sophie nodded again, pacing up and down. "Do I need to tell you not to tell anyone else that that's the-"

"The only stuff that can hurt you?" Dani asked, raising her eyebrows. "I'm not an idiot, Sophie, I know when to keep my mouth shut."

"I'd rather not take chances," Sophie said apologetically, "but I know you're more sensible than most." She looked out onto the street, still scattered with shattered parts of Natalie's things. "Sometimes, " she added as an afterthought.

"So are you back for good now?"

"I guess." Sophie shrugged, sitting back down. "I mean, I have to get back into it sometime don't I? The sooner the better. I mean-" she frowned "- if I am still going here."

"Oh, I meant to tell you about that," Dani cried, slapping her forehead, "the Dean stopped by before. He heard about Ella so he said for you to go visit him whenever you were ready."

"Did he say anything else?" Sophie asked, eager to know how bad it was.

"He didn't act like he was just going to toss you out if that's what you mean," Dani told her, "he said he wasn't allowed to tell me anything else other than what he told you on Tuesday."

"You mean that they have evidence to support the claims I cheated using my powers?" Sophie asked bitterly.

"Pretty much," Dani sighed, "but it can't be that bad if you never cheated. Which I know you didn't."

"It has to be pretty bad if they're taking this seriously," Sophie retorted. "It's not like they can take _every_ claim that someone cheated seriously."

"Actually, I was thinking about who might have filed the complaint," Dani said, looking through a pile of papers she had stacked on the coffee table. "Here," she announced, picking one up. "Do you remember Henry Hills?"

"My ex-boyfriend? I wish I didn't." Sophie frowned, remembering the seemingly nice man who'd become rapidly clingy and absurdly jealous every time she spoke to another man. She'd left him down as softly as possible but she'd still had to change her cell phone number afterward.

"Yeah, he was so creepy," Dani chuckled, "but you know how we were talking about the news stations being swamped with "information" about you guys," she asked, using air quotes to emphasize what she thought about the type of information people had been calling in with. "and how it was weird they'd picked this particular piece of information up so quickly?"

"Yeah." Sophie nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well, according to good ol' Google," she said, patting her laptop fondly, "the first station to get hold of this was CNN and guess who works there?"

"There's no way Henry got a job a CNN."

"No," Dani agreed, "but his brother did, Gareth Hills, executive producer."

"Oh, this makes it interesting," Sophie mused.

"This is good," Dani assured her, "a guy you dumped tries to get you kicked out? Clearly he's just holding a grudge. Let's go see the Dean, we'll have this overturned in no time."

Sophie knew it wouldn't be that easy, but Dani's confidence was infectious. She couldn't help smiling as she followed her friend out the door. Sure they'd have to refute the actual evidence as well but she was innocent and no way was she letting a disgruntled ex of all people get her kicked out of Harvard.

* * *

"Jason!" Tristan yelled as he saw his friend in the studio for the first time since Monday. "Man, how've you been?" he asked, clasping his friend's arm and pulling him in to thump him on the back.

"It's been a weird week," Jason replied, shaking his head, "just thought I'd check in here before I come back next Monday."

"Good idea," Tristan agreed as he walked with him to down the hall to the conference rooms. "Hey, sorry to here about your sis, that just really sucks. Hope she gets better soon."

"I just dropped her home actually," Jason said, looking through the building to find one of the producers. "She's doing great." It wasn't a completely lie, physically Ella was fine.

"So, is that because you guys all have like, super-healing powers?" Tristan asked excitedly.

Jason frowned at the slight note of hero-worship in his friend's voice. He hoped it was temporary and Tristan would relax around him after a while.

"Kinda," Jason replied, frowning as he recalled the weirdly accurate _Inquisitor_ article. "Hey, you didn't talk to the media about any of this did you?"

"Nope," Tristan said truthfully, his heart rate remaining the same. "You didn't want me to did you?"

"Oh, no," Jason assured him. "Just… someone we know is talking to the press and we just need to ask them to stop."

"Okay…" Tristan sounded confused but then just shrugged and continued, "The producers aren't going to fire you by the way, in case you were wondering."

"Oh, good," Jason said idly, remembering he hadn't even told Tristan or Kate about his siblings' powers.

"Kate might be a bit harder to deal with though-"

"Pardon?" Jason asked a bit worriedly, remembering how upset his other cast member had been on Monday. "Is she really that mad?"

Before Tristan could answer a voice from behind them called out, "Jason! In here."

The pair turned to see Leo, the producer who's help Jason disappear, waving from a door behind them.

"Oh, we thought you were in the main conference room," Tristan explained as they turned around.

"No, in here. We'd like to speak to Jason alone," he told Tristan who nodded.

"I gotta go to rehearsal anyway." Tristan nodded once to Jason, giving him a reassuring smile.

Jason followed Leo into the room, finding two of the other producers for _BreakOut_ waiting for him.

Trying to shake the feeling he was being ganged up on, he took a seat.

"Don't worry," Leo reassured him, "we're trying to keep this short, we know you must wan to get back to your family."

Jason nodded thankfully, thinking of Evelyn back at the media-surrounded apartment.

"First things first," Pauline, another producer Jason liked, started off. "Is your sister doing alright?"

"She is, thank you," Jason replied, catching himself before he added that she went home today. Tristan he was reasonably sure he could trust but they'd agreed not to tell the public and he didn't quite know how much the producers would tell their fans to keep up ratings.

"Good, good," Mr. Davis, his least favourite producer grumbled. "But back to why you're here. We've been discussing what to do about you now that the fact your Dad is Superman is all out in the open."

"We're thinking of making it part of the show," Leo continued, "We obviously don't want to change it too much-" he paused slightly to give Davis a look that Jason made a note to ask Tristan and Kate about later, assuming Kate was talking to him. "-but we'd like you to be using your…_abilities_ on the show and stuff."

"We think it will really increase ratings," Pauline told him, stating the obvious in Jason's opinion.

"How do you want me to use them on the show?" Jason asked slowly, not sure how he felt about using his unique powers to get his work more money.

His father had always been against using his gifts for anything other than helping people, and certainly not for personal gain. Then again, that had been before Monday.

"On Wednesdays," Leo started, "with the '2 Minutes At Your Place' segment. We always send the camera crew to the kid's house beforehand right? And you Kate and Tristan just talk over the radio."

"But you can just go visit now too," Pauline continued, "straight from the studio without ruining the surprise factor."

"Okay," Jason agreed.

"We're also offering you a pay rise," Davis said, answering the next question on his mind.

"I won't take it unless Kate and Tristan get one as well," Jason said quickly, he knew it sounded old-fashioned but Kate had turned down a pay rise a year ago because Tristan and Jason hadn't been offered one. It seemed like the right thing to do, regardless of how Monday's revelation had affected things they were still a team.

"Told you he'd say that," Leo laughed, grinning at Davis. "We'll have to get back to you on that," he spoke to Jason again. "but I'm pretty sure the studio will agree."

"Good." Jason nodded. "Now what else did you have in mind?"

Far from keeping it short it was another hour before he left the conference room.

He immediately sought out Tristan, finding him with Kate in the kitchen. "Hey, guys," he greeted them as he walked in.

"How'd it go?" Tristan asked, "It went well didn't it?"

"Pretty well," Jason confirmed.

"How's Ella?" Kate asked suddenly, not looking at him.

"She's doing well," Jason replied, pleased that Kate was at least talking to him.

But his relief was short-lived as Kate muttered, "Good," then simply walked out of the room.

"She's angry, isn't she?" Jason watched her leave, noting the tension in her shoulders which he didn't recall seeing before.

"I think she's upset you didn't trust her," Tristan explained. "She thought you were friends-"

"We are friends," Jason interrupted, "but does that mean I had to tell her _everything_ about me?"

"I'll talk to her," Tristan told him, "I think she just needs to know you didn't mean anything personal by keeping it from her."

Jason nodded, as much as he would have liked to chase Kate now he wanted to get back to Evelyn more. And maybe if Kate was that angry with him he should try and let Tristan play peacemaker until next week.

"I do want something in return though," Tristan said, grinning in a way that told his friend it probably was going to be something strange.

"What?" Jason asked with a sigh, remembering the last time he'd owed Tristan something and ended up getting stuck spending the whole day teaching him swear words in different languages.

"You have got to teach me how to swear…" Tristan started, making Jason roll his eyes, "in _Kryptonian_," he finished, his grin getting bigger as he watched his friend's face.

If Jason thought the wall could handle it he would have banged his head against it at the predictability of his friend. Instead he settled for rolling his eyes again. "Fine," he sighed, "I don't know that many because I did learn it from my father- but I'll teach you the ones I do know, okay?"

"Man, you are epic," Tristan told him, thumping him firmly on the back. "See you Monday."

"See you."

He took a quick loop over the city, prevented a mugging, then quickly sped to the apartment.

"New York's loving having their own personal superhero, you know," Evelyn commented as he stumbled through the window. "Nice landing," she giggled.

"My jacket caught and I didn't want to rip it," Jason said defensively. "I had to lean back and unhook it."

"Uh-huh, of course," Evelyn teased, rolling her eyes. "They're already trying to come up with names for you."

"Who?" Jason asked, checking that he hadn't ripped his jacket.

"New York," Evelyn reminded him, coming over to kiss him lightly. "I know your Dad was kind of international but everyone knew he lived in Metropolis anyway. Now New York has the one thing Metropolis always held over them. Some people think we should be calling you Superboy."

"I'm twenty-six," Jason reminded her, "I think I'm a little too old to be called Super-_boy. _Besides, what's wrong with calling me Jason_?_"

"Try telling them that." Evelyn nodded towards the muted TV which was displaying pictures of Jason in his black outfit assisting with a car crash last night. "Nina thinks it's cute as well."

"You sister stopped by?" Jason was surprised that the woman had braved the press outside. He'd never say it to Evelyn but he hadn't thought her oldest sister was the sort of person who would face trouble like that instead of hiding in her apartment. He was rather pleased to have apparently underestimated her.

"She just left about ten minutes ago. She was concerned about Dad." Her face twisted when she said the last word, as if it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Jason moved forward and wrapped his arms around her. "What did she say?" he asked, trying to comfort her. Even though her Dad's anger was directed at him, he knew it was hurting Evelyn the most and it pained him to see her so unhappy.

"She's worried," Evelyn said, surprising him again. "She doesn't agree with what he went and did but she says he's been acting different for months now. Like tense and upset."

"Really?" Jason couldn't remember ever meeting the man when he hadn't been tense or upset but then again, he was dating the man's daughter which probably wasn't the best position to be in when meeting him.

"Yeah, but I don't know…" Evelyn shrugged, "going on TV and publicly blasting you for being Superman's kid seems way over the top even for him but when I saw it, I honestly wasn't as surprised as I maybe should have been."

Jason nodded, not sure what to say. He turned back to the TV just as the picture switched to one of Kate and him on _BreakOut, _he recognised it from just last week. They were doing the obstacle course segment where two teams of kids from different schools raced against each other to win $1000 worth of books for their school.

It had been his turn to demonstrate and he watched himself grab the flying fox and drop into the slime pool at the end to the laughter of the audience. Kate was laughing too, especially when he'd chased her around the stage trying to hug her.

"How did your thing go then?" Evelyn asked, changing the subject as she followed his gaze.

Jason shrugged. "About as well as I could have hoped, they want me to start doing super-stuff on the show to pull in more ratings."

"That's understandable," Evelyn said, nodding thoughtfully, "I think it'll be great."

"You do?" Jason asked, looking back at the TV. He had mixed feelings about the proposal, but he loved his job and if was that or be fired…

"You shouldn't feel bad about using you natural talents in your job," she told him, kissing him again. "That's how the rest of us try and get by anyway."

"True…"

"And you will still have time to use them to help people won't you?"

"Yeah." Jason nodded, his eyes still fixed on the TV until Evelyn switched it off. "Hey, I was watching that," he protested.

"Fine," Evelyn sighed sadly, "I was going to go have a shower and I wouldn't have minded some company but you just stay here and watch your TV then," she said, shaking her head while slowly unbuttoning her blouse.

"TV?" Jason asked, watching hypnotised as his fiancée threw her top into the bedroom and started slowly unzipping her skirt. "We have a TV?"

"That's more like it." Evelyn grinned. "Now, come on, I know a _much_ better way to get your mind off things and pass the time until dinner," she called, heading into the bathroom.

Jason wasted no time hurrying after.

* * *

**A/N:** Also, for those who are wondering, _BreakOut_ is kind of based on a NZ show I used to watch called _What Now! _I used to be a huge fan when I was younger and the day I got to be on it was the highlight of my little life. *sigh* If you don't really know what that is I hope I'm doing an okay job of explaining it in the story. PS- the hosts are in no way based on the hosts of that show though.

Next part: Lois is at the _Planet _and gets a lead on who might be leaking information about her family to the press, Clark visits Smallville and Ella ponders what "normal" means anyway.

Reviews are love!

(Just 81 more to 300 :P Lol)


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **The second part of this chapter is bought to you by Keri Premium Orange Juice. Of which the author calculated she drinks over 2.4L per day. That's a lot of Vitamin C.

The lateness of this chapter is thanks to my boss. Why do we even have the holiday sheet if you _never _read it and insist on putting people on days they can't work so the rest of us have to work way more that week than we thought we were? Moron.

But moving on, yes this is chapter twenty but still part two of last chapter as well. Or else the upload page would be out of sync with my file names and it would confuse me.

**Chapter Twenty: **_**Get Back Up Again (Part Two)**_

* * *

Lois ignored the stares and whispers that started as soon as she walked out of Perry's office. Let them point, she had more important things to worry about.

Perry had finally agreed to publish her article about Fredrick Leier, a congressman who'd been using government funds to take a woman who most certainly wasn't his wife on extravagant holidays.

Before Monday it would have been a massive scandal, page one above the fold guaranteed. Now Perry couldn't promised her anything above the third page.

"Lois," someone called from behind her. She turned to find Erin Jones, another city beat reporter standing behind her, looking rather nervous. "Can I talk to you?"

Lois had a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue but the look on Erin's face made her hold it back. Unlike the rest of the bullpen who seemed to feel the revelation of Clark's double life had turned them into a laughing stock, Erin didn't look like she was angry. In fact she looked almost concerned.

"Sure." Lois lead the way to her desk, she only need get a few files from her desk before she could head back home.

"I don't know if you saw that article in the _Inquisitor_, about your kids' powers," Erin started cautiously.

Lois whipped around to fix her with a piercing glare. "What do you know?" she demanded.

"Andy Summers, he had that information first, he said his cousin gave it to him but Perry wouldn't publish it. Apparently she knows one of your kids."

"Andy Summers?" Lois repeated, the name sounding familiar but not registering as anything significant. "Where's his desk?"

Erin pointed towards a desk where a tall, blond man was talking on his phone before quickly, and wisely, hurrying away as Lois stood up and started towards the desk.

"- on Monday? Alright, I'll talk then. See ya."

Lois waited as patiently as possible for him to stop talking and hang up before leaning casually on the edge of his cubicle.

"Talking to your cousin?" she asked sweetly, smiling at him.

He looked up sharply, almost tipping his chair over. "Lois, fancy seeing you here." He recovered quickly, giving her an odd sort of smile. "Thought you'd be at home trying to take care of your little army of half-breeds."

It was only the fact it would probably just make things more complicated than they already were did Lois restrain herself from hitting him. "They are not _half-breeds_," she said in a low and dangerous voice, "they are my children and I am taking care of them right now." Andy still looked slightly thrown although he was trying to hide it. Lois pressed on while she had him off balance. "Who spoke to the _Inquisitor_, Andy? I know you know. Who is your cousin and how does she know my family?"

However, idiot that he was, one didn't get a job at the _Planet_ without being able to hold their own. Andy had recovered from his initial surprise and simply shrugged in response. "Sorry, Lois, a reporter always protects their sources. You know _all_ about that though, don't you?"

There was a murmur of agreement from the reporters who had stopped to watch the confrontation.

Andy continued, clearly feeling stronger now that the crowd was on his side. "I'm not going to tell you who spoke to the _Inquisitor_ because I, unlike you, still have some journalistic integrity. Hey, tell me, how many times did you publicly deny, on the record, that you had no relationship with Superman?"

"Look," Lois snapped, getting tired of trying to explain this, "I married _Clark Kent _and that's the man I have a relationship with. Read Ralph's article if you want a full explanation, I'm sick of repeating myself."

"Well I'm not telling you who my source is," Andy said, glancing around to check that he did have the backing of the other reporters.

"Now, ignorance I could almost forgive," Lois told him, leaning forward on his desk and was pleased when he leaned away rather than holding his ground, "but I know you're smarter than that, Andrew. You know very well that your cousin is putting my seven year old son in danger by publicly telling the world he's the easiest target."

"How do we know your kids won't put the world in danger themselves?" Andy retorted, "You're only human like the rest of us Lois, what if one of your kids decided they didn't want to follow the law anymore?"

"And you think that makes things like a madman sending my daughter to hospital alright?" Lois asked, her voice rising, "My children do not deserve to be made targets just because their father tries everyday to make this world a safer place for people like _you_ to live in."

"They're already targets," he shot back, "right from the moment Kent stepped in front of that rocket on Monday. It's hardly my fault if my cousin wanted to tell the public what you guys won't."

Another murmur went through the reporters but his one wasn't so positive, clearly Lois had swayed some to her side.

But not enough, she could see from the look on Andy's face that he wasn't going to give. Not right now anyway, not while he still had some support from the group. Lois never accepted defeat, but she was wise enough to know when to retreat. No further articles had appeared in the news with worryingly accurate information and if they talked to the kids about what not to tell people it would be alright for the moment.

Mr. Summers was in for a shock if he thought he won, she would need to get him alone, away from everyone else. Whoever Andy's cousin was, she _was _going to find out eventually.

Then she'd do whatever it took to protect her family.

Even with his memory, Clark couldn't recall the number of times he'd hovered above the farmhouse in which he'd grown up. Many times he'd held his children or wife, taking them to visit his mother and later Ben when they'd gotten married.

He couldn't ever remember hovering overhead for so long without descending, nor feeling so anxious or afraid. He wasn't looking forward to going down to try and explain to the Harrisons why their house was now surrounded by news vans and having things stolen from it.

He looked through the clouds and felt a jolt of anger as he saw the now empty chains dangling from the post that used to hold the 'Kent Farm' sign. Maybe if Jason was right and the thief had taken it for the money they could get it back when he tried to sell it.

There was a police car parked outside the driveway but only three news vans were there and no one was outside filming. There were only so many ways you could film a house he supposed, no matter who used to live there. Now they were probably just waiting for him to show up. He looked toward the farmhouse itself and was surprised to see quite a number of cars there.

He looked into the house and was pleased to see that the other residents of Smallville weren't leaving the Harrisons to deal with this alone. Lana and Pete were there with their sons, the oldest Clark, named for him, was frowning at a math problem in the kitchen and the youngest, Axel, was playing with the Harrison boys, Joseph and Kyle in one of the bedrooms.

Frank and Lynn Harrison, just a young couple with an infant when they'd bought the house, were sitting with Pete and Lana in the living room. Clark sighed as he saw Lynn place a hand on her swollen stomach. With their thrid child on the way, this kind of stress was the last thing they needed right now, he thought as he descended.

He went just fast enough that the reporters would miss him but slow enough he didn't make any noise as he landed softly on the back steps. He'd called Pete after he'd dropped Ella home and they were expecting him but he still felt nervous as he raised his fist and knocked on the door.

The voices inside suddenly stopped then he heard Pete say, "Oh, that'll probably be Clark."

"Oh, I hope he's doing alright," Lana said, getting up with her husband to answer the door.

"He can hear you," Pete reminded her.

"Only if he's listening," Lana replied, "which he shouldn't be _because it__'__s rude to eavesdrop.__"_

Clark didn't quite hide his smile in time and Lana glared at him when the door swung open. "I know you heard that," she told him.

"You were talking loud enough for the vans at the gate to hear," Pete said, giving Clark an amused look as his wife slapped him on the arm.

"How are you though?" she asked, pulling him into the farmhouse, "How's Ella?"

"She's doing well," Clark told them as they walked into the living room. "She came home today actually."

He nodded at the Harrisons as he sat down, trying to ignore the way their eyes widened as they saw him without his glasses for the first time.

The was an awkward beat before Lynn broke it with a laugh. "You really do look different without you glasses, Clark," she said with a shake of her head, "everyone on the news can't really understand it but you do look really different," she repeated.

"That kind of was the point," Clark chuckled, touching his face for the fifth time in almost as many seconds. It was so strange not to have the reassuring weight of the frames on his face.

He felt naked. Even among friends, he was used to hiding behind the lenses.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier," he apologised to Frank and Lynn.

"Oh, no you don't," Lynn told him sternly, surprising him with her forcefulness, "you should not feel bad in any way for staying in Metropolis while your daughter was in hospital. You are not allowed to apologise for being a concerned father."

"Lynn's right," her husband, Frank, agreed, "no one's going to accept that apology."

"Besides, we can handle things without you," Pete added, grinning at his friend.

"_Oh_, well, I'll just go then," Clark replied, holding his hands up in defence.

The five of them shared a laugh before Clark became serious again. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked Frank and Lynn, "Anything at all?"

"Well, it hasn't been exactly easy with the world dropping by to take photos of Superman's old house," Lynn admitted honestly. "But the sheriff sent a car as soon as the news broke and so far, apart from someone taking the sign, no one's trespassed or done anything illegal at all."

"We think they really are just interested," Frank added, "there have been quite a few random tourists drive past and take pictures but they haven't been bothering us at all."

They continued to talk for well over an hour, Frank, Lynn, Pete and Lana filled him in on what was happening in Smallville, soon to be officially 'Superman's home town'- and Clark in turn told them what was happening in Metropolis.

The kids wandered in at various points to see who the new arrival was. Clark Ross seemed thrilled that he really was named for Superman while Axel, Joseph and Kyle were interested until it was discovered that there was a fresh batch of cookies from this morning in the pantry.

Lynn had assured him had he been in the familiar red and blue with his cape they would have been utterly ecstatic to see him. Apparently Superman in jeans and T-shirt didn't instil the same awe as the iconic suit though.

He'd tried to leave once it became reassuringly apparent that the residents of Smallville could more than hold their own against he news invasion.

Lana and Pete were having none of it though and had dragged him outside to have a private talk with their old friend before he went back to the lions' den.

It was nice, Clark had to admit, being able to talk to the two people still on Earth that had known him, truly known him, before he was Superman. Lois had known Superman first, then discovered the real Clark.

"You don't _owe_ the general public anything, Clark," Pete told him firmly when he told them about the press conference he wanted to have, "but you do owe it to your family to listen to them. If they don't think a press conference is a good idea now, maybe it's not."

"You could do one next week," Lana suggested, "that way you have the whole weekend to talk about what you're willing to discuss and what's off limits."

Clark nodded, Lois had told him much the same thing last night, although she knew, like him, that they would eventually have to face the public full-on and a press conference was the best way to do that. They could wait a bit, he supposed, and he was fine with spending the weekend at home with his family.

"So, I know I shouldn't be listening too much to the newspapers for accurate information," Pete started slowly, "but is it true Jason's engaged?"

"That's true," Clark confirmed, unable to help the grin that spread across his face as he thought of how happy his eldest son seemed every time he talked about his fiancée.

Lana hugged him, smiling with him. "That's something good to focus on then," she pointed out, "Jason must be so excited."

"Yeah, he went back to New York today," he said, less happily than before. "And Sophie's back at Harvard." He didn't like having his children so far away, especially after the attack.

His friends didn't miss the unspoken feelings behind his words. "Clark, you have to let them keep living their lives. You can't just lock them away forever in the apartment."

"But they're in danger now," he reminded them, "How many more people have kryptonite just waiting to be used on one of my children-"

"Or you, Clark!" Lana placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look at her. "Think about it," she told him, "your children are, in reality, much _safer_ than other kids just because they're _yours. _And they can protect themselves as well as you can protect them, remember? The same thing that would hurt them would also hurt you."

"Yeah, Clark," Pete agreed, shaking his head, "I had to kiss Axel's paper-cut better this morning. Think about that, there's only one thing that can harm five out of the six of your children and that's pretty rare. I worry about _paper_ hurting my kids."

"We're not saying you shouldn't worry," Lana told him, "all parents worry about our children no matter what, we can't help it. But you have to know when you're protecting them and when you're hurting them by locking them away."

"What about Chris?" Clark asked, "He's only seven, and thanks to the _Inquisitor,_ people are going to know he's the easiest target."

Pete and Lana were silent after that, his friends apparently didn't have an argument for his youngest son.

"I just can't see how we're going to go on," he admitted quietly, voicing a fear he'd only told Lois before now. "Even though I know we have to. I just can't see how we're going to live like this and make it work."

"That's understandable," Lana said softly, earning odd looks from the men. "It is," she insisted, "think about how you feel when someone close dies, it's the same feelings but you always come through, don't you?"

"I don't really think it's the same, honey," Pete told her, shaking his head.

Lana gave him a sharp look before turning back to Clark. "It's not all that different when you think about it. You've lost something, Clark. Your secret was more than just a secret- it was a way of life for you and your family. Now it's gone things are going to be _so _different, just like any significant loss. But you'll carry on, you _will _find a way through this."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked, frowning at her.

Lana sighed and cross her arms in a frustrated manner. "Clark Kent, I've known you since kindergarten," she reminded him, "I've known you longer than anyone else except Pete and I know _you._ You're strong enough to get through this and it's hardly as if you have to do it alone."

"Yeah, you've always got us," Pete reminded him, giving him a manly, one armed hug.

"And you've got Lois," Lana added, "Not to mention your small army of children…"

"… your photographer friend," Pete jumped in with, "what-is-ma-handle-"

"Jimmy," Lana corrected her husband, before turning back to Clark, " and pretty much the whole of Smallville."

"- your next door neighbours said nice things about you in the _Daily Planet_," Pete added, "and of course Frank and Lynn are with you."

"Okay." Clark held up hands. "I get it, I'm not alone."

"And don't you forget it!" Lana ordered him.

Talking with his two oldest friends had helped, Clark realized as he sped back towards Metropolis. It wasn't enough to completely undo the tension in his muscles and the knot of worry in his chest but it had loosened them and that was a start.

Lana had ordered him to call them, night or day, if he need to talk to someone. Lynn and Frank had also told him he was more than welcome to visit the old farmhouse any time he wanted. Frank was even planning to make a new sign with his sons, to replace the stolen one and had invited Clark to help.

He didn't slow to savour the flight like he usually did, knowing he'd never properly enjoy it anyway. Instead he reached the apartment in almost record time, eager to get back to his family.

A corner of the tarpaulin they had taped over the window Sophie had smashed on her way to help Ella had come loose and was cracking in the wind, Clark slipped under it before quickly before securing it more tightly.

The apartment was quiet but far from empty, Richard was still asleep in the guest room, recovering from jet-lag, Chris was playing with Eric in his room, Ella was lying fully clothed and fast asleep on her bed and Lucy was in the study on the computer.

Lois hadn't called for him yet and Clark was afraid she might be trying to make her way home by herself. If anyone could brave the media horde outside it was her but the media wasn't all they had to worry about now.

Lois could take care of herself but it would only take one criminal with a grudge and a bullet to hurt her. She'd been targeted at times before, but now that it was a known fact taking her down would hurt Superman she was bound to be in more danger.

He honed in on her familiar heartbeat and was relived to find it still in the bullpen. She had promised him she'd go to the roof and call when she wanted to come home.

Clark didn't know what he'd do if Lois was hurt. When Ella had first been taken to hospital she'd been the one to take care of things, writing a statement for the press and making sure he was alright. Just being there for him to lean on.

Jason had also handled things amazingly and helped support them through it but Clark needed _Lois._ Especially at a time like this.

"Hey, Dad," Lucy greeted him, coming into the kitchen to get a glass of water. "Everything going alright in Smallville?"

"As well as can be expected," Clark replied, "with the town turning into a tourist hot-spot overnight."

"You know, all this media attention has me thinking," Lucy started, in the tone that said she had an idea she didn't think he'd like.

"About…?" Clark prompted her when she paused.

"I think we should get a PR person," she said, holding up her hand before he could say anything. "I know that doesn't sound like Superman, but now the world knows you're not just Superman. And PR firms aren't just to help people _get_ publicity," she continued, "they help famous people handle it as well. And I'm pretty sure they'd be a great help to us. I mean, I know things aren't always going be this crazy but they're never going to be the same again, unless you stop saving people you're still going to be famous and having a PR person to filter things for you, and Jason, Sophie and Dean now, would be really helpful and-"

"Sounds like a good idea," Clark interrupted her. Lucy had inherited his lung capacity and if he didn't stop her rambles before they really got going there was no telling how long she could go for.

"You do?" she asked, bouncing excitedly, "Good, because I was looking at some on the computer and I'm pretty sure most of them would kill to have Superman on their client list."

"Yeah," Clark smiled back at his daughter, finding her excitement infectious. Superman had been approached by PR firms before but he always turned them down.

Superman could handle his fame and publicity himself. People always wanted to talk to him and ask him to support their charity r appear at their events but it was hard to find him when he didn't want to be found.

Clark Kent was a man with a job, a home and a family and most importantly, a lot easier to get a hold of than Superman. He could use a PR firm to help keep this under control.

"So do you want me to tell you about them?" Lucy asked, nodding toward the study.

"Maybe we should wait until Sunday dinner and talk about this as a family," Clark suggested, knowing he couldn't put it off forever but wanting not to rush so fast when they'd just got out of the hospital that morning. "We're all in this together and we should decide how to move through it together."

"Good idea," Lucy agreed, "I'll print of the info I've got and list pro and cons and all that, okay?" She hurried back to the computer and Clark could hear her muttering quietly to herself as she click through the different websites.

A faint _thump_ on the balcony made him smile and he went out to find his son waiting for him. "How'd it go?" Dean asked, looking out over the city as the setting sun lit it a brilliant orange.

"In Smallville?" Clark shrugged. "As well as could be expected, the town's still overrun with news vans but they're losing interest."

"Well, I guess there's only so much to find out about someone's past, isn't there?" Dean said, "After that they'll have come back here because this is where the news is actually _happening_. Right?"

"Exactly." Clark nodded. "This isn't going to go away, you know?" he added after a moment. "We're famous now for the rest of our lives whether we like it or not."

"I know," Dean told him, "and so do the others. But you can't change what's happened."

"No," Clark sighed, "I can't."

"I could stay," Dean offered, as they watched the sun set together. "If you want me too."

Clark's first instinct was to say yes. Of course he wanted his son to stay with him, where he could see him and protect him if anyone else tried to hurt him. After what happened with Ella, Clark wanted nothing more than to keep all his children in the apartment, line it with lead, and never let them out into the real world where they could get hurt.

Instead he shook his head and said, "I can't let you do that." Dean had all his powers, he reminded himself, and half his weaknesses. He couldn't look after Dean anymore than the young man could already do himself. "You're eighteen, you should be out having fun, not worrying about your parents. We're supposed to worry about you."

"Are you sure?"

No, Clark's mind said but he forced his mouth to say, "Yes, I'm sure. Just… be careful."

"I will," Dean promised. "And it's not like I can't be back here in a second if you need me anyway. I'm still going to come back on Sundays."

"Yeah," Clark agreed, feeling only mildly better. Dean nodded and turned to leave but Clark pulled him back before he could take to the air and, without a word, pulled him into a hug.

Dean returned it immediately and just as tightly. Clark was only mildly surprised to find they were almost the exact same height now. He was reminded again how quickly they were all growing up.

Jason was getting _married_, Sophie was well on her way to becoming a successful lawyer and now Dean was just about outgrowing him.

That at least couldn't be allowed to stand. "Alright, shorty," Clark said with grin as he let go, "you'd better hurry before you miss breakfast over there."

"Oh, come on, Dad," Dean laughed, "I'm practically taller than you already."

"You are not," Clark protested, shaking his head at the absurdity, "Your shoes _clearly_ have thicker soles."

"Whatever." Dean shook his head, still grinning. "I'd better go anyway, I'll just nip over to the _Planet _to say goodbye to Mom then I'll be off."

"Be careful, " Clark told him again, "and don't hesitate to come back or call if you need _anything_, okay?"

"I won't," Dean promised.

* * *

The apartment, which had been so crowded since Monday with everyone staying, now seemed oddly empty to Ella when she woke up from her nap in the early evening. Jason, Sophie and Dean had all gone back to where they were before this had happened, and probably trying to pretend it hadn't.

She stood up and stretched, enjoying the quiet and trying to get rid of the strange disorienting feeling she always got when sleeping during the day. She stood on her tip toes and stretched her arms right above her head, feeling only the tinniest tug of the scar tissue on her hip. It was surreal to think only three days ago the same injury had had her fighting for her life on the operating table.

She hated to admit it but she knew it was thanks to her mixed heritage she'd survived. It should have helped, she knew that too, if being half-alien had saved her life, shouldn't she be thankful for it?

But she wasn't. She still felt that weird wrongness when she thought about not being fully human. Not even fully alien. A half-breed.

Before she could dwell too much she shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind. Where they belonged, where she didn't have to face them and where they should have stayed if her Dad hadn't gone and blown the whole secret to hell.

She didn't blame him though. She had at first, but five days of watching the same footage played over and over on the TV had shown her there was no other way he could have acted. Even she would rather have the world know she was half-alien than know that her Dad had let innocent people die to protect his privacy. That wasn't her Dad and really, that would have been far worse than what he did do.

She stretched again, trying to wake up properly. As she did her eye was caught by a note on her desk that hadn't been there before. It was in Dean's handwriting and, judging by the spelling, had clearly been written quickly.

_Ella_

_I still what to talk with you._

_I'll be back on Sonday. _

_-Dean_

"And what if I don't _want _to talk to you?" Ella muttered, tearing the note up and throwing it away.

She knew in her head that Dean was worried and just trying to help but the rest of her hated him for not letting her leave her feelings bottled up at the back of her mind. Where they belonged.

Her mouth tasted funny and felt all fuzzy so she decided to go brush her teeth. It probably wasn't too far 'till dinner but she didn't like walking around feeling like she had moss for teeth.

The apartment wasn't as empty as she'd thought he realised when she walked down the hall to the bathroom. Chris and Eric were playing in his room and someone, probably Lucy, was on the study computer.

It all seemed so _normal_, her brother and cousin playing together while her sister did homework in the study. Although she probably wasn't doing homework given that she hadn't been to school for a week because her sister had been put in hospital by a madman wanting revenge on their father.

Oh, yeah, that was normal.

She was wandering towards the kitchen to see if she couldn't find a small snack to have before dinner when she passed the master bedroom and stopped in her tracks.

The door was open and her Dad was sitting on the bed, bent over and looking at a pair of his glasses he was twirling in his hands. Ella was rather shaken by the sight, she couldn't remember ever having seen her Dad look so… _lost_.

It was startling and almost upsetting in an odd way. Her Dad wasn't supposed to look like that, he was supposed to be strong and composed.

He looked up suddenly, as if just noticing she was there and the lost look he'd had only a moment ago vanished, replaced by a confident smile which looked a lot more like her Dad to Ella.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice, as if he hadn't been asking her the same question every five seconds since they'd come home.

"I'm fine Dad," she sighed, wondering if she'd imagined his lack of confidence before, "the doctor said it's like I've spent a year recovering instead of three days, remember?"

"I didn't mean that," her Dad said, smiling at her, "I mean are _you _okay? I know this has been hard on you kids and it's probably not going to get too much easier. You know you can talk to me and your mother about anything."

"I know," Ella lied, "I'm sorry about the way I've been this past week," she said more truthfully. "I was just a bit stressed, you know?"

"Yeah," Clark sighed, twirling his glasses in his hand. "I think we all are."

"So, how are _you_?" Ella asked.

"I'm fine," he replied but she could tell it was a lie, an automatic response to the question.

"Dad," she warned, frowning at him.

He laughed. "You sound so much like your mother when you do that," he told her.

"Don't avoid the question," she ordered him, which only made his grin wider.

"And that," he said, shaking his head, "don't worry about me Ella. It's my job to worry about _you_."

"Which you don't really need to do when I'm standing right here," she told him firmly.

"I suppose," he sighed, placing his glasses on the bedside table, "but I still will."

"What are you going to do with these?" Ella asked, picking the glasses up and sitting next to him on the bed.

"No idea," Clark muttered, shrugging. "I think it will look odd if I keep wearing them now."

"I think it'll be weird seeing you without them," Ella commented, slipping the thick frames onto her face and grinning at him.

It had the intended effect and he laughed, taking them off her and shaking his head. "Richard thinks I could sell them on eBay and then I'd have enough to retire."

"You probably would," she laughed with him, "Lucy was going to look up Kent-related items on the internet, probably seeing how much she can make from the stuff in her room."

"It wouldn't surprise me." Her father seemed amused at the idea. "I have a few pairs though." He held the glasses back up. "It's going to be strange not wearing them anymore."

"You'll get used to it," Ella told him, not really sure if she could ever imagine getting used to the way things were now.

"I guess we don't really have a choice now. I'm sorry for putting you kids through all this," he apologised.

"I don't blame you," she told him, "for us getting attacked." He was silent so she continued, "You wanna know who I do blame? I blame the guy that stabbed me and no one else."

Clark just nodded and twirled his glasses again. "What should we have for dinner?" he asked after a while, changing the subject.

Ella looked at the clock, shocked to see she had slept so long. "No press conference, then?" she asked, remembering the family meeting in her hospital room. "Or did I sleep through that as well?"

"No press conference," Clark told her. "Not today at least. You were right, I don't owe the world any more than what was in the _Planet._"

"But you might do one?"

"We're thinking next week, or maybe even not at all," Clark said with a shrug. "But there are more important things for me to think about right now," he said as he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I love you, you know that?"

"I know," Ella sighed as she felt herself relaxing into her Dad's hug, "I love you too." A week ago she would have been rather embarrassed at the thought of letting her Dad hug her for so long but right now she felt so safe with him she didn't care.

She pushed away the tiny, niggling thought at the back of her mind about what her Dad might think of what she had told her brother. He'd never find out, she told that part of her brain, Dean swore not to tell and she certainly wasn't going to say anything.

"So," she said, louder than she'd intended, trying to drown out her fears, "what are we doing now then?"

"Now?" Clark smiled and stood up, helping her off the bed. "Now, we're going to have dinner."

"Sounds like a plan." Ella smiled as she followed her father to the kitchen. It almost felt like things were getting back to normal.

Except for the fact they'd never really be "normal" again.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes, there _will_ be a press conference, just not this chapter, sorry.

In other news, to those that were interested in eBooks I've put a link on my page to my LJ eBook library. It just has _Poison _up for now but I'm making more and I'm also looking into getting permission from other authors to upload eBooks of their works that I've done. To those who did respond, is there any particular one of mine you did want done?

Coming up (I hesitate to say 'next chapter' now that the muse is so fickle) : It's been a week and the Kents struggle to cope with the changes in their lives as they try to figure out how to live now. Clark goes back to the _Planet_ and Ella, Lucy and Chris go back to school and find a few surprises waiting.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** Sorry for the lateness (again), Two exams and a 1500 word essay had me distracted for longer than I intended. Also, second reason I was late- RIP my epic, curvy, ergonomic-or-something-like-that keyboard that I've typed all my fics on since way back when :(. I'm now working on a weird little straight one that takes me so much longer (and hurts my wrist like a bitch!). Hopefully when I get a new one it'll go faster.

But to make up for the wait here's the longest chapter yet:

**Chapter Twenty-One: **_**Seven Days**_

* * *

_Ella wasn'__t moving as she lay on the hard ground, her clothes slowly turning red. Dean fell over as well, a dark pool of liquid forming around him._

_Then it was just Chris and the man with the green knife. He yelled as loud as he could but no sound came out. The man was grinning as he slowly walked towards him but Chris__'__ feet were stuck to the pavement, he couldn__'__t move, he couldn__'__t run-_

"Chris!"

_His Dad was here! Chris turned around, looking for him as the man drew close, raising the knife-_

"Chris, wake up," his Mom's voice ordered him.

He opened his eyes on his bedroom and sat up with a gasp. His father was sitting on the end of the bed and Chris immediately jumped into his arms. He couldn't stop shaking and he still felt as scared as he had in the dream.

"It's okay," his Dad told him, holding him tightly, "we're here, it was just a dream."

His Mom was stroking his hair and his Dad just kept holding him. Chris felt safe in his Dad's arms, and his Dad was Superman so nothing could hurt Chris when he was with him.

Slowly he stopped shaking and he felt his heartbeat slow down. "I'm sorry," he muttered as soon as his breath returned.

He didn't like having bad dreams and he felt like a baby when he had to have his parents come in so he wouldn't be scared anymore. He hadn't had nightmares since he was a little kid and still thought monsters lived under the bed.

"It's okay," his Mom told him, "you don't need to be sorry for having a bad dream."

"Are you alright now?" his Dad asked, still hugging him.

Chris nodded shakily, wiping his face on his pyjama top. "I'm okay now."

"Do you want to come sleep with us?" his Dad asked, keeping his voice quiet so no one else heard.

Chris shook his head, "No," he lied. He really wanted to but only scaredy-cats crawled into their parents' beds when they had a bad dream. Even if it was the safest place to sleep.

"It's okay if you want to, we won't tell," his Mom promised. "We'll get up early and bring you back here so your sisters don't find out."

It was still really dark and it felt to Chris like there was still a lot of night left. He nodded slowly and grabbed his favourite teddy bear as his Dad picked him up and carried him back to their room, hoping his parents wouldn't tell anyone he still slept with a soft toy either.

"Now, don't worry, we're right here, okay?" his Mom said as they climbed into the big, soft bed. "Just try and get some sleep, school in the morning remember?"

Chris just nodded, clutching his bear tighter as his father settled down on the other side. He was glad he'd decided to sleep in the big bed, even if he was worried what his friends would say if they found out.

Lying between his parents he knew no one could hurt him there. Mom could beat anyone and Dad was Superman, they could look after him.

His parents kept their promise and Chris found himself waking up in his own bed after a dreamless sleep. There was sun peeking in from behind the curtains and he could hear people moving around in the apartment, getting ready for the day.

The familiar Monday feeling hit him as he got up and searched for clothes to wear to school. He had gotten an extra long weekend but he would probably rather have been in school than in the hospital with Ella.

"Chris, time to get up!" his mother called, knocking on his door.

"I am," he called back, picking out his favourite Metropolis Meteors T-shirt to go with his cargo pants. He was excited to see LaTanya and Tommy again and he hoped Jane's Mom let her come back too.

The people outside the apartment building had had to leave on Saturday because the police made them. His Mom had said they were getting in the way of all the cars on the road so the policemen said they had to leave before anyone got hurt. Maybe the police were going to tell the people who'd been outside his school to leave as well.

"Chris," his Dad called this time, "I'm making pancakes, hurry up if you want to help."

Chris grinned and grabbed his bag before hurrying out to the kitchen, almost bumping into his sister in the hall. "Watch it, squirt," Lucy grumbled at him, still sounding half-asleep.

"Sorry," Chris called, ducking out of her way. Lucy was always in a bad mood in the morning and Chris found it easier to just keep out of her way. "Pancakes," he called, bouncing into the kitchen where his Dad was busy mixing the batter.

"Morning, kiddo," Clark greeted him, giving him a hug and asking quietly, "Sleep alright?"

Chris nodded and returned the hug. "Can we make pancakes now?" he asked, before Lucy or Ella came in and found out he'd slept in the big bed last night.

Chris loved helping his Dad in the kitchen. He couldn't wait until he was big enough to cook stuff by himself but Mom and Dad kept saying he was too young now and he could hurt himself.

"Morning, Chris," Ella muttered as she walked in, "morning Dad."

"We're making pancakes," Chris told her, turning to his Dad he asked, "Do we have blueberries?" Ella loved blueberries on her pancakes like Dad, he remembered, Lucy liked bananas like him and Mom.

"Of course," Clark told him, taking them out of the fridge. "Jason got two lots because your Uncle Jimmy said he might come by before work as well."

"Cool," Chris said, getting the milk out of the fridge. He liked it when Uncle Jimmy stopped by because he always let him play with his camera but he hadn't seen him for a while. Dad said it was because Uncle Jimmy had taken the most pictures of him as Superman and as Clark.

"Does that have to be on?" Ella asked from the living room. Chris looked up from carefully measuring the milk into the cup his Dad was holding. His sister was looking angrily at the TV which was on the news but with the sound turned off. It was still showing pictures of his Dad and the rest of his family.

Chris didn't like it when they showed pictures of them or their schools. That was how the bad man in the alley had known who they were and why he had to use the special green knife to hurt Ella and Dean. He wouldn't have needed it to hurt Chris though. He was the only one without any super-powers now. Lucy and Ella always made fun of him when it was mentioned.

He'd enjoyed playing with Eric over the weekend because Eric didn't have any powers either. And he was teaching him to speak Japanese. Chris was trying to teach Eric Kryptonian as well but he didn't know it like Eric knew Japanese. Jason had been helping him practice though because his Dad had been busy trying to make sure Ella was okay and no one else would be attacking them with green knives again.

Dad usually taught Lucy, Ella and Chris about Krypton and how to speak Kryptonian every Thursday evening but they'd been at hospital last week and missed out. Jason had told him Dad used to have a whole big computer that knew all about Krypton and all the other galaxies as well but a bad man called Lex Luthor had stolen it ages ago when Jason was younger than Chris was now.

"Careful, Chris!" his father's voice bought him out of his distraction. Chris jumped and the now overflowing milk sloshed over the bench.

"Sorry," he said, hurrying to get the cloth to wipe it up.

"It's okay," his Dad laughed, "no need to cry over spilt milk. Morning dear," he greeted Lois as she entered the kitchen.

"Gross," Chris whispered loudly as they kissed. He giggled as Lois playfully swiped at his head, messing up his hair.

His Dad looked like he was going to say something but suddenly his head tilted to the side and he got a look that said he had to go be Superman.

Chris groaned, "Dad, we were making pancakes."

"I know, buddy," his Dad apologised, "I'm sorry. Why don't you show your Mom how we make them okay?"

"Okay," Chris sighed, turning back and pouring the milk into the bowl. He had liked having his Dad home all weekend to play with but last night at the family meeting, with all the family and Uncle Richard and Eric, his Dad had said he was going to go back to being Superman even though everyone knew who he was really.

"Bye," he called as his Dad spun into his red and blue suit and flew away. "C'mon, Mom, let's make pancakes."

* * *

Clark couldn't help smiling as he kissed his beautiful wife good morning. Despite everything happening, spending the morning with his family was something that he always enjoyed.

He smiled wider as he heard his youngest son mutter, "gross!" under his breath. It always amused him how embarrassed his children could get over simple displays of affection.

He chuckled as Lois ruffled the boy's hair but his amusement was short lived as a siren downtown caught his attention.

"You don't have to go if you're not ready," Lois reminded him quietly, catching the look. "The kids-"

"The kids have their own lives, Lois," he sighed, smiling softly. "They've been amazing in the past week but Superman has to return sometime. Even if he's going by a different name."

"Dad, we were making pancakes," Chris told him, sounding upset as he noticed his father's distraction and correctly guessed the reason for it.

"I know, buddy," he apologised, trying not to let Chris' wide-eyed, sorrowful look guilt him too much, "I'm sorry. Why don't you show your Mom how we make them okay?"

"Okay." Chris didn't look too happy but Clark knew him well enough to know he'd be okay.

"Bye," he heard his son call as he took off.

Ella grunted her farewell and Lois whispered, "Good luck… Clark," under her breath, reminding him just who he was going out as now.

It was a car crash that had caught his attention. From what he could gather, a van had ran a red light and been hit side-on by a car with a family in it. From the looks of the three children in the back they had been heading to school.

The car had been hit from behind by another vehicle as well, pinning the children in the back seat. He paused for a moment above the scene, rapidly assessing the situation.

There were eight cars in total involved in the crash but aside from the van and the car with the family, they were all relatively minor accidents. A few bruises and a nasty shock seemed to be the worst injuries.

He re-focused his attention on the family. The parents were unconscious in the front but the woman, who's legs were pinned under the dash and broken in several places, seemed to be coming around, the man's leg also looked to be badly broken but Clark moved on from them almost immediately. The children were his biggest concern and even as he shot downwards he could see that it was worse than he'd thought.

The girl sitting in the back passenger seat, who looked no older than Chris, had been holding a music case on her lap. When the car had crashed, the case had been caught behind the seat in front and slammed into her chest, cracking her ribs and puncturing a lung and she looked to be starting to bleed internally. She needed urgent attention.

The firemen had arrive and were working on pulling people out of their cars. Clark had already ripped the door off the car and was pulling the back seat back as fast as he could to release the children while not causing any further injury.

By the time the first emergency worker arrived he had scanned the girl's whole body, particularly her spine, to assess if he could move her and, finding it thankfully safe, managed to pull the young girl out of the car and paused only long enough to tell the EMT he would be back before shooting off into the sky as fast as he could.

He didn't miss the look in the EMT's eyes, nor did he fail to hear the whispers of the other emergency workers on the scene. He'd no doubt have questions to answer when the accident had been dealt with but for now there were more important things to worry about.

He knew the emergency workers wouldn't jeopardise anyone's safety and wouldn't bother him until everyone was safe but they were one group of people he wanted to talk to. He'd worked with most of them for several years now and knew quite a few as well as he knew the reporters in the bullpen.

He landed lightly in the emergency entrance of the hospital, trying not to jolt the girl. A gurney was already being wheeled towards him. "What do we have?" the doctor asked.

"Car crash," Clark told him, "She's got a few broken ribs, her left lung is punctured, she's bleeding internally and she's concussed." The words came out automatically, it was something he did almost everyday and for a moment it seemed just like any other day .

Except- "Nice to have you back, Mr. Kent," the doctor commented, and Clark realised it was the same one that had treated Ella, "your son was good but we really need to get him some proper training like we gave you. A hell of a lot easier if he could properly tell us what's going on."

"I'll mention it to him," Clark promised, speeding back to the crash site. Jason, and Sophie too, would probably be more than happy to do a few lessons with the EMTs at the hospital, Dean might be a bit reluctant to go back to school again but it would help immensely if they knew what they were actually looking for and talking about when they x-rayed victims.

The driver of the van had been pulled free when he got back and was actually standing and talking to the police, the car having slammed into the back end and missed hitting him directly. The mother of the girl he'd just delivered to hospital was awake and asking urgently about her children, seeming unaware her legs were crushed and her head was bleeding profusely. She was the next most urgent.

"The kids…" she asked the EMT who was attending to her as Clark landed beside him.

"Ma'am, I had to take your daughter to hospital," Clark told her, carefully ripping the mangled door away so the EMT had better access bandage her head.

"She's lost a lot of blood," the EMT told him, "you might want to take her next."

Clark nodded and used his heat vision to neatly slice away the front of the car and release the parents. In the back one of the other children was regaining consciousness and the EMT moved to tend to him.

Four trips later, the mother then the children and finally the father, he returned to help remove the van and cars that couldn't be pushed off the road to clear the intersection.

The driver of the van was in handcuffs after failing a breath test and Clark hoped he would be taken off the road. The accident had the potential to be so much worse and it was only the fact that the father driving the other car had been going a few miles under the speed limit that had saved his family's life.

It always seemed longer but it was only twenty minutes after he left the apartment that the scene was clear and all the injured had been seen to.

"Hey, Superman," a policeman called Jon, who he'd known for several years called, coming over. "Or Clark… can I call you Clark?"

"If you want," Clark replied, "do you need me for anything else?"

"Nothing formal," the cop replied, "but…" he jerked his head behind him to where the other firemen, cops and EMTs stood, looking intently at him.

"Yeah, I though some of you might have questions about…"

"About how you're a Pulitzer winning reporter?" Jon finished for him, turning around and yelling, "Oi, everyone, he says he'll talk now."

"Thank you," Clark said insincerely as all the emergency workers gathered in front of him.

"I know how much you love a crowd," Jon replied, grinning at him. "So anyone got any questions for the big guy?" he asked.

"Let's start with the obvious one," a fireman Clark knew only by sight started, "What are we supposed to call you now anyway?"

"It doesn't bother me," Clark told them in all honesty. "You can keep calling me Superman or you can call me Clark if you want."

"How about Mr. Kent?" one of the other EMTs asked.

"I guess," Clark said with a shrug. "It just seems a bit formal."

"How about Mr. Superman?" one of the older cops who he'd known for a while asked with a grin, getting a laugh from the others and a smile from Clark.

"Maybe not that," Clark replied, glad they seemed to be taking the revelation of his true identity in stride. Then again, most people in jobs like their had far more important things to worry about than the fact their city's resident hero had a real life.

"You going to dress in real clothes now?" an EMT, also one familiar with in asked.

"Something wrong with my cape?" Clark asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"_Dad,_" Lucy's voice carried over the city and he frowned, panicking momentarily until she continued, "_we're going to be late to school._"

"Something wrong?" Jon asked, noticing his distraction.

Clark opened his mouth, a fabricated excuse on the tip of his tongue before he remember he didn't need to lie anymore. "I have to go take my kids to school," he told them.

"See you later, then," Jon said, nodding as the crowd dispersed, they did all have jobs to get back to.

"_Dad- we're watching the news, we know you're done!"_ Lucy reminded him.

"I'm here", he called as he landed, "Now, don't forget your clarinet," he reminded her same as every other Monday as he spun out of the suit.

"Got it," Lucy replied, holding the case up and reminding him of the girl in the car earlier. He wondered how she was doing.

"El, are you ready?" Clark called, opening her bedroom door and stopping suddenly at what he saw.

Ella was dressed in her uniform and ready to go but she had stopped and pulled up her top just enough that she could see the stark, white scar sitting on her hip. It looked years old but it was hard to believe it was less than a week since she'd got it.

"It looks so small now," she said, looking at her Dad in the mirror. "But it wasn't really. It was deep rather than wide I guess."

Clark didn't know what to say, he didn't even want to remember how brutal the wound had been when he'd first seen it. Nor how pale and lifeless Ella had been when it was fresh. "I'm sorry, El," Clark started to apologise but Ella interrupted him.

"It's not your fault, Dad," she told him firmly, tucking in her shirt and grabbing her bag. "I'm sorry I reminded you, it's over now, right? And it's only the guy who stabbed me that should be blamed and no one else okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Clark chuckled, smiling as Ella channelled her mother.

"So…" Ella frowned, glancing down at her hip. "Do you think the scar will eventually heal as well? I mean the rest of it vanished pretty quick."

"I'm not sure," Clark admitted, "but unfortunately I don't think so." He turned around and lifted his T-shirt up to reveal his lower back. "You see that?" he asked, twisting around and pointing to a small, jagged white line on his back.

"Yeah." Ella nodded, frowning at the mark. "Oh," she said suddenly, straightening up and staring at him, "is that where Lex Luthor stabbed you on New Krypton?"

"Yes," Clark confirmed, "I hardly feel it anymore but it's still there twenty-two years later. Sorry."

"It's okay," Ella replied, running her thumb over the place where her own scar was, her expression strange but unreadable. "It's not that big and I'm hardly the only person in the world with a scar. Let's go," she announced, changing the subject, "don't want to be late on our first day back."

It didn't take long for him to take the kids to school. Over the weekend Lois and him had taken every practical step to ensure the kids would be safe at school without disrupting the normality of their lives too drastically.

The main precaution, suggested by Richard, were several modified watches that emitted a high-pitched noise that only Kryptonians and some dogs could hear. Dean had helped test them and Clark was pleased to discover he could hear the signal from almost anywhere on the planet. Jason, Sophie and Dean had refused to take them, all insisting they could take care of themselves which Clark had to agree was true. Lois had only very reluctantly allowed her watch to have it added, only Clark's assurance it was for his peace of mind and not implying in anyway she couldn't handle herself, had cajoled her into taking one. At the family dinner on Sunday Jason had also managed to modify another one to emit a different tone and given it to Eric in case the boy ever needed to call his big brother.

There had also been several meetings with Commissioner Henderson regarding security around the school and the apartment that had helped ease his nerves about send the three youngest back to school today.

He spoke to the principal of each school until he was satisfied that they were taking all the steps they could to protect his children.

Lois noticed his agitation when he returned. "Clark, calm down." She kissed him lightly and made him look at he as she assured him, "They'll be fine, they have the watches and they know to call you the second anything happens."

"Yeah, well that didn't help Ella, did it?" Clark asked, fighting every fibre of his being not to race back to the schools and bring his children back the apartment where he could stay and keep them safe.

"Clark, you said yourself that man just got lucky," Lois reminded him. "New Kryptonite is very rare and it was a one in a million chance he had it."

"What about Chris?" he asked, pacing in the living room. The seven year old had been the subject of a lot of discussion over the weekend. Jason, Sophie and Dean had all his powers and could defend themselves as well as he could, Lucy and Ella were already invulnerable to everything but New Kryptonite but Chris- Chris was as vulnerable to attack as any seven year old kid. "It's not going to take much luck or any special rock to harm him."

"He'll be fine, Clark," Lois tried to assure him but Clark could hear the slight uncertain waver in her voice and the increase in her heartbeat that told him she was just as worried as he was.

"Lois…"

"Clark, listen to me," she commanded him, "we promised the day we got married that we would try as hard as we could to give our kids as normal a life as possible. I know that's been hard with our jobs- and both of yours-" she added "-and I know it's going to get harder now we don't have your secret to protect them but we can do it."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked, the certainty in her voice clear this time.

"Because not only are we Clark Kent and Lois Lane who together bought down Intergang and have won more awards than there are corrupt politicians, including three Pulitzers," she reminded him, "but you are still Superman, no matter what name people call you now. Okay?"

Clark sighed, still not convinced that sending the kids back to school so soon was the right thing to do. Even with the police protection and the signal watches it seemed too dangerous.

"Clark, what's Chris doing now?" Lois asked, changing her tactics.

"He's in class," Clark answered without hesitation, honing in on the sounds surrounding his son's heartbeat, "talking to Tommy and LaTanya about what he missed."

"And Lucy?"

"In the music department, putting away her clarinet. Ella's talking to Kim in the hallway and… I get your point," he conceded, allowing his children their privacy as he returned his focus to their heartbeats alone and tuned out conversations and other noises.

"See?" Lois said smugly, "And given you can be there in less than a second if something does happen," she continued, picking up her laptop form the table, "it really makes no difference you being there or at work- other than the fact if you don't come to work your job's in danger."

"Ah, c'mon, Perry's not going to fire me," Clark told her, checking the doors were all locked before taking off to the _Planet_, "not when I _am _the news."

"Did I tell you about Erin Jones?" Lois asked suddenly as they zoomed past the reporters on the roof and into the stairwell.

"The one who told you that Andy Summers might know who's talking to the press?" Clark nodded. "Yes, why?"

"I asked her to get his family tree for me," Lois told him, "but I need to go talk to the Chief first. Can you go get it from her and see if you recognize any of the names?"

"Alright." Clark nodded, bracing himself as they entered the bullpen. Once again a hushed silence feel but this time Lois completely ignored it, striding straight to Perry's office and leaving her husband behind.

Clark choose to just nod politely and drop his suitcase off at his desk before seeking out Erin. By the time he reached her most of the people had realized he wasn't going to do anything newsworthy returned to work, although Clark couldn't entirely block out their whispers.

"Erin, hi," he greeted the reporter. He didn't know her that well, but he knew and admired her work. He'd be surprised if she didn't get a Pulitzer within the next ten years or so. "Lois said she asked you-"

"To get Andy's family tree?" Erin interrupted, picking up a pile of papers on her desk. Clark scanned them with his x-ray vision quickly but no names he knew from the kids jumped out at him. "This is it."

"Th-thank you," he replied, automatically stuttering and pitching his voice higher. Erin frowned at him and Clark winced. "Sorry, force of habit," he apologised, returning his voice to natural.

Erin didn't comment, handing him the paper and returning to her computer. "Tell Lois that's all I've got," she said, "I told her about Andy because of what happened to your daughter but I'm not becoming her little spy or anything."

"I'll tell her," Clark agreed, "and thank you."

He started to make his way back to his desk but a sudden change in the tone of the constant muttering around the room made him look up. One of the televisions on the wall was showing pictures of Richard. Him with Lois, Jason as a baby and a continuing series of pictures right though to one taken during the weekend New York when Jason and Evelyn had taken Richard and Eric to the movies.

"Never really had a chance did he?" Gil's voice rose above the mutterings and Clark turned to find the other reporter staring straight at him. "Not when he was competing with _Superman_." The bullpen feel completely silent as every single person in it turned to face Clark to see how he would react.

"I wouldn't dignify that with an answer if I were you, CK," he heard Jimmy mutter under his breath across the room.

Clark ignored his friend, instead levelling his gaze at Gil and asking, "Are you implying I stole Lois from Richard?"

"Well they were going fine until you came back," Gil replied, the rest of the bullpen swivelling their heads back to Clark like an audience at a tennis match. "Especially Jason."

Clark decided to ignore the jab about his son, that had long ago been worked out in the family, with the only people who really mattered. Instead he asked another question, "So, you're saying Lois had no choice but to leave Richard when I came back?"

"Actually, Clark," Lois corrected him casually as she exited Perry's office, "I _think_ he's saying I clearly had no mind of my own and was merely a prize to be fought over by two men."

A chuckle ran over the reporters as Gil looked stunned by Lois' statement. He didn't get the chance to defend himself though as Perry leaned out of his office and yelled at everyone to get back to work.

"If it helps, most people think Gil's being unreasonable," Lois assured him, kissing him quickly. "Even if a few still agree with his point."

"I know," Clark sighed. He'd been hearing snatches of conversation about him since he'd arrived and he knew they weren't all as against him as Gil. "Oh, here's Andy's family tree from Erin." He handed her the papers and Lois nodded as she flipped through them.

"Excellent," she muttered, "I'll see if any of the kid's friends are on here."

"Jimmy's waving at me," Clark told her, watching his friend beckoning him over.

"Go see what he wants, I'll be scanning these," Lois told him, walking back to her desk with her nose buried in Andy Summer's large family tree.

"What's going on, Jimmy?" Clark asked as he continued to pointedly ignore the continuous stares.

"So you've got teenager, right?"

Clark blinked, the question being one of the last he was expecting. "Uh…Why?" he asked.

"Well," Jimmy sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "I was really intending to come for breakfast at your place this morning but Sarah got into an argument with Alice about what the appropriate length for her school skirt was and I had to try and defuse it."

"Let me guess." Clark nodded, "Alice tried to roll the skirt around the waistband to make it shorter?" Jimmy looked amazed and Clark laughed properly for the first time in a while. "I've got three girls," he reminded his friend, "two of them are still teenagers."

"So what do I do?" Jimmy asked, "I know you're kinda busy right now with this-" he waved his hand in the general direction of the rest of the bullpen "-but Alice has really been acting out these past few weeks and I don't know who else to ask-"

"Jimmy, calm down," Clark interrupted him, "I don't mind, and in fact it's kinda nice to have someone ask me something normal now."

"So what do I do?" Jimmy asked hopefully.

"Just what you're already doing," Clark told him simply, "teenagers don't come with a manual, the only thing you can really do as a father is set rules and enforce them."

"That's it?" Jimmy looked rather annoyed by his answer, "Just what I'm already doing? Alice isn't even twelve and she's already out trying to get miniskirts and short tops."

"Don't let her," Clark told him, "but do be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" Jimmy's eyebrows almost shot off his head, "CK, she rolled her skirt up so high you could almost see her underwear."

It only lasted about another ten minutes but the discussion with Jimmy surprisingly relaxed Clark a lot more than he thought he'd be able to today. Talking about something so normal with one of his best friends could almost make him forget what was going on elsewhere.

"Aw, man," Jimmy sighed as his computer dinged in the middle of talking about the appropriate tightness of T-shirts. "The Chief wants yet _more _pictures of you. I swear he's not going to be happy until he's run every single image of you from the past thirty years."

"I'll let you get back to it then." Clark smiled and clapped his friend on the shoulder as he headed to the kitchen. He needed a good, strong coffee right now. It was definitely only a placebo effect but coffee helped immensely in getting through days like this.

Dave Chapman, and veteran reporter for the _Planet_, seemed to have the same idea. "Kent- or whoever the hell you are," he greeted him cheerfully as Clark entered the room, "how's Ella?"

"She's doing better," Clark replied, the comforting sounds of his family's heartbeats scattered across the globe thumping comfortingly at the back of his mind, as they did everyday. Although he was listening closer to them now than he usually did. "Thank you."

"You know," Dave continued, filling up his cup, "I've got more than a few questions I'd like to ask and I'm more than a tad annoyed at myself for getting fooled by a pair of glasses. But I gotta say Kent-" he shook his head and looked straight at the other man- "there isn't' a father in the world who wouldn't understand why you did it. Especially after what happened to Ella."

Clark was rather stunned by the statement. "umm, thank you," he repeated, not sure what else to say. He'd been completely prepared for everyone at the _Planet _to hate him and with Gil and the others' attacks earlier he'd completely forgotten that there were level-headed and reasonable people working there.

"Don't mind them," Dave continued, nodding towards the bullpen, "they'll come around as soon as you or those kids of yours stop the next big disaster." He gave his colleague a friendly clap on the shoulder and returned to his desk, ignoring the confused glances shot his way by his other workmates.

"What was that about?" Lois asked, startling him as she slid up behind him. He'd been so distracted by Dave's words he hadn't heard her approach. "You shouldn't worry, Clark," she told him, misinterpreting his silence, "they can't have forgotten everything you've done for them that easily. They're just a little… hurt right now."

"I know," Clark told her, offering her the coffee which she gladly accepted, "and actually, Dave wanted me to know he understood why I kept it a secret."

"Well of course he would," Lois said, not offering any further explanation until Clark raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh, that's right, you weren't here." She sighed and continued, "It happened while you were in Egypt two years ago, doing that story on the terrorist cell in Cairo. Dave ran a story that bought down several lucrative drug smugglers down in Hobb's Bay. Later that night someone broke into his apartment and threatened his wife and daughter."

"Were they okay?" Clark asked, remembering even as he did that he'd seen Dave's family all alive and well at the Christmas party last year.

"Yeah, they lived," Lois confirmed, "Dave's neighbour was a cop and the man that broke in wasn't very subtle. He was tasered and in handcuffs before he could do any damage aside from a good scare."

"So he would understand." Clark's hand automatically went to his face, reaching his nose before he remembered he wasn't wearing glasses anymore and there was nothing to push up.

Lois laughed when she noticed and shook her head. "That's going to take a bit more getting used to, I think."

"You're telling me," Clark sighed, glancing again towards Dave's desk. "I suppose he really does understand then. And maybe the reason people are so confused is that they just don't understand why I kept it from them yet."

"We tried to explain all that to Ralph," Lois reminded him, "people can read the _Planet _for information on you- just like they always have."

"I don't think that's enough," Clark told her, sipping his coffee and watching as CNN finished coverage of a fire in Australia that Dean had put out and returned to showing pictures of him. "Those are just words, that's good enough for most stories but I don't think it is for this one."

"So we're doing the press conference then?" Lois asked.

"Do you want to?" Clark replied. "It's all our lives that have been turned upside down by this. It's been a long time since it was just _my_ secret."

His wife smiled and leaned up to kiss him, not appearing to care that many in the bullpen were still staring at them. "I'll tell Perry," she said as she pulled away. "You tell the kids. We'll do it tomorrow."

She turned and strode confidently back out into the bullpen, grinning at everyone and yelling, "Chief, you want the next Superman scoop? Cause I think my husband and I just came up with it."

* * *

Tracey Muldoon thought she'd left certain parts of her life behind when she'd come to Metropolis.

Fleeing from L.A. at seventeen, pregnant and alone, she had got off to a rough start in the strange city. But with the help of new friends and social workers she had carved out her own place in the City of Tomorrow, determined to give her daughter the life she never had, as far away as she could get from gangs and random street violence. Away from the organized crime, drugs and blood money her family had used to make its living.

She wasn't so naïve as to believe Metropolis didn't have things like that, but back in LA she was trapped in it. Her uncle running the biggest drug gang in the states, her brothers cold-blooded killers-for-hire and her father the mastermind behind most of the robberies in the city. At least in Metropolis she wasn't recognized and targeted. Here she had been able to make her own identity, attending college and securing a job at one of the best IT firms in the country she had been starting to believe it really was all over.

Of course, nothing in her life was ever so simple.

Ten years. A whole decade had passed since she'd been involved in the gangs. She had tried to forget it- but evidently it hadn't forgotten her.

On Friday she had gone to pick her daughter up from school think about nothing more complicated than what she was making for dinner. The minute her daughter had climbed into the car it had all changed though. "Mom, a lady at school told me to give you this," the ten year old said, handing her a piece of paper.

Tracey took it and felt her heart stop as she unfolded it. There were five words on the paper:

_Kilmore Coffee Shop_

_2pm Monday_

But it wasn't that that shocked her. It was the symbol in the corner, a stylised set of intertwining initials, D.M. Douglas Muldoon, her father, crime boss for half of L.A.

It wasn't from him directly of course, the way he'd been making enemies he was probably dead by now anyway, Tracey supposed. The thought bothered her less than it should.

No, the symbol was just to get her attention. Someone here knew who she used to be and they had used her daughter to deliver the note as a way of delivering their own message: Fail to show up and they'd simply pay another visit to her daughter. The type of visits her father was fond of paying to his enemies, the type that ended in a funeral.

Kilmore Coffee shop wasn't very full when she arrived, the unwashed dishes scattered around the café the only sign left of the lunch rush that had just finished.

She knew instantly who she was there to see. Two men sat in the middle of the coffee shop, looking like any other businessmen in Metropolis on their lunch break but Tracey spotted the embroidered D.M. on the lapel of the older man the second she looked at them.

"You must be Tracey," he said politely as she sat down. "My name is Smith," he told her simply, not introducing the other man. Smith nodded towards the counter, "I hope you don't mind but we've already order for you. We want to keep this short." He looked at his watch as if to illustrate his point. "We're sorry for scaring you," he lied, "we only require one very small, very simple favour."

"Simple hardly sounds like my father," Tracey commented, trying to stop her hands shaking under the table.

"Your father?" Smith sounded surprised. "Oh, this?" he laughed as he looked down at the initials on his jacket, "No, no, we're not with him at all, this was merely the simplest way of getting your attention, we chose someone we knew would," he smiled dangerously at her, "_understand_ the consequences of telling anyone of us or what we want you to do. Although, your brother sends his regards," he added, almost as an afterthought.

Tracey flinched at the mention of her estranged family. "What do you want?"

"I believe this Friday you are attending a cocktail event?" Smith asked smoothly, apparently not hearing her question.

"Mr. Taylor's party?" Tracey asked in surprise, wondering what on Earth her boss had that was of interest to these people.

"Yes," Smith answered simply.

The waitress appeared at the moment, delivering their drinks. Tracey tried to still her shaking hands, smiling politely as she received her latte. The TV in the corner caught her eye as she glanced up and she saw once again the face of Clark Kent, the super-man who'd fooled the whole world with a pair of glasses.

Something clicked into place. Last year, at another of the Taylor's evening parties, a memory forced its way into her head: _"Tracey, have you meet our neighbour, Clark?" _and an image of a slouching, stuttering man with thick glasses appeared in her mind.

"This has something to do with the Kents doesn't it?" she asked. Her realisation making her momentarily forgetting her fear.

"That's none of your concern," Smith replied smoothly. "We only need something very simple from you. This is Robert," he introduced the young man beside him, "he will be your date to the party." It wasn't a request.

"…That's all?" Tracey asked nervously when he didn't add anything else to the statement, "I just take him to the party and then you'll leave us alone?"

"Of course, Robert will pick you up at seven on Friday," the man said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "And after that you and little Amanda will be allowed to live in peace."

Tracey flinched again at the mention of her daughter. She knew what these people were capable of and she never wanted her daughter to experience that.

She didn't ask any more questions, she didn't want to know. Taking someone to a party wasn't against the law, even if said party was right next-door to Superman's apartment.

She wasn't doing anything except protecting her daughter and that wasn't wrong. She was looking after her family and, if these men were really after the Kents, Superman could look after his own family.

* * *

**A/N: **Just a note on the car crash- I'm not a doctor or a medic so if something's wildly wrong, I'm really sorry. I'm hoping the next chapter will come quicker, I'm hoping now that the main plot has started to properly take shape it'll be easier. New poll on my profile page as well. I asked way back when who you favourite kid was and now I want to see if that's changed or not so go vote!

In other news, I went back and made a few minor edits to previous chapters, nothing big, just a few name changes you shouldn't even notice (very minor characters) but feel free to PM me if you spot them and it really bothers you or something.

Reviews are love!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Sorry about the long wait but I'm at University and my life has not been that easy lately but it's here now! This isn't my favourite chapter and not as exciting as one I'd want to give you after such a break but I promise you it's necessary.

**Chapter Twenty-Two: **_**For Better Or Worse**_

* * *

Evelyn Jones didn't know exactly how much sleep Kryptonians- or their hybrid children- needed, but she'd be willing to bet it was more than Jason had gotten in the past week.

Her fiancée was sprawled across the bed, his hair mussed up and his eyes firmly closed. He'd come home exhausted and barely had time to take off his shirt and shoes before he'd collapsed beside his fiancée. Evelyn had woken when he'd flung an arm across her and allowed him to pull her close.

"Bad night?" she'd asked, concerned.

Jason had opened one eye and muttered, "I was too late," and she hadn't asked anything else, just kissing his forehead lightly and letting him sleep.

She'd been certain she was going to wake him when she'd gotten up but, even though he'd had both arms around her, he hadn't stirred as she'd pulled free and headed to the bathroom to complete her morning routine.

He was usually up with the sun, even though he had to be at work almost a full hour later than her. She took a moment to take in the rare sight of him sleeping while she was awake for a little longer before pulling the curtains tighter to keep out the light and going to appease her rumbling stomach.

Evelyn was a morning person, she had been from the time she was a toddler which had frustrated her parents to no end. She turned the TV on but kept it down low, the news channel they had been watching the night before with Richard and Eric came on. Thankfully they weren't discussing the Kents, although Evelyn knew it was only a matter of time before it came back on.

She felt like a big breakfast today, for the first time in a week, so she was disappointed to open the fridge and find they were out of almost everything.

She made a mental note to go shopping today after work, preferably while Jason was still at work and she could get some alone time. She understood his protectiveness, especially after the last week. But she was starting to crave her own space, even just for a little while.

Yes, she was in danger, but she'd been watching the news stations all week and their were surprisingly few recent pictures of her out there. Her sister's friend had agreed to give her a new haircut on Tuesday as well, and she had invested in a good pair of sunglasses.

_"- the latest Superman news now,"_ the voice for the TV announced and Evelyn turned from staring longing into the empty fridge back the screen.

"_The Man of Steel__'__s biggest fansite, krypton-dot-com, has posted a message of support for their favorite hero, saying _'Whatever your name is, Mr. Kent, no one here has forgotten all the good you've done for the world'."

She smiled at that, hoping Mr. Kent had seen the message himself. It was good to know some people in the world was overcoming its initial shock and remembering why they'd loved the man in the cape in the first place.

The video played again. The man with the rocket launcher, Mr. Kent jumping in front of it. Evelyn had seen it a million times, she turned back to her search for food. Cereal, they had to have cereal.

"Thank god," she sighed when she opened the top cupboard to find some Fruit Loops they'd bought for Eric. Generally Evelyn tried to eat healthy but she was hungry, there was almost nothing else and Fruit Loops were a good treat for what was bound to be a long day.

She retrieved some long-life milk from the pantry where they kept it for cases just like this- well maybe not quite like this but close enough- and sat down at the table to watch the news.

The show that had been on when she'd gotten up was just finishing but Evelyn knew she'd probably see the same thing on the next show and her suspicions were confirmed.

_"We're just about to head to _The Morning Show_,"_ the reporter announced,_ "where they'll be discussing, well, what else?" _he asked with a laugh_, "Superman's secret identity is all that's on anyone's lips right now. See what the team thinks of all the new information we've received over the weekend in just a moment."_

She had to get back up to get another bowl, finding the remains of last night's spaghetti cooked onto the rim and when she returned the conversation on the TV was already in full swing.

_"Think about it like this though," _one of the reporters, called Glen according to the words on-screen, was asking, _"_Superman_ has a boss. That boss works for the _Daily Planet_. Now, what happens if the _Daily Planet _decides a plane crash will make a better story than a Superman-_saving_-a-plane one?"_

_"You can't honestly be suggesting he'd listen though?" _The reporter in the red tie, Alan if Evelyn recalled correctly from the last time she'd seen him, asked, looking shocked.

_"Well, why not?" _Glen retorted, _"Let's not forget he's got _six_ kids to support- a difficult task by anyone's standards. Could he really afford to lose his job?"_

_"He's Superman, for goodness sake," _Alan replied, _"He could get any job he likes now. And the way the _Planet's _been selling since this secret was revealed, it's highly unlikely they'd fire him."_

_"I have to agree with Alan here, Glen," _The woman sitting between them, whose name was Jen according to the text that appeared below her face, spoke up for the first time,_ "Could you imagine the ramifications on the _Daily Planet_ themselves if they did allow someone to get hurt for a story?"_

_"Well let's not forget the _Inquisitor _nearly burnt down an apartment block to get this story," _Glen informed them, as if it proved his point.

_"Those were freelance journalists and the _Inquisitor _didn't tell them to do that."_

_"I don't think someone can be entirely someone he's not for over thirty years," _Jen spoke again, this time her voice was firm with conviction and Evelyn decided she liked her, _"Superman was not a complete act, Clark Kent is a good person and I, personally, have no doubt he will continue to do what he's been doing for the last thirty years regardless of job security."_

_"Exactly," _Alan agreed, _"He even says as much in the interview he gave for the _Daily Planet_." _He held up a copy of the already legendary 'Special Edition' of the _Planet. "Here he says: _'Clark Kent is who I am, Superman is what I do. I am Clark Kent, that's who I was raised, but that's not to say I'm not Superman either, but when I'm in the cape I'm just allowing a different side of me to come out.'_"_

The quote made Evelyn smile as she poured herself another bowl. She'd had a very long conversation with Jason about who his father really was after he'd told he the family secret and, although Jason had tried to explain that really, he was both Superman and Clark Kent, and he even had a third name, Kal-El, which he wasn't that fond of, it was Clark Kent he kept coming back to.

"That's who he was raised as by Grandma Martha and Grandpa Jonathan," Jason had told her, "and that's who he is when you get right down to it."

Jen was talking again and she tuned back into the show. _"Besides, three of his kids are grown or self-sufficient anyway and goodness knows Lois earns enough to support them all. Remember, they lived on her salary when he was a stay-at-home Dad for two years to his son Dean and the twins, Lucy and Eleanor."_

_"Making up for the time he lost with the eldest, Jason, perhaps?" _Glen asked, raising an eyebrow, his tone clear he was looking for any angle to make Clark look bad.

Evelyn sighed as the three then proceeded to pretend they were experts on the relationship between Jason and his three parents. A sound from the bedroom made her pick up the remote and mute the TV. Jason had enough to worry about today with his return to work, he didn't need to hear again what the world thought of his father's failed trip to find his home.

"Evie?" Her boyfriend called as leaned out of the bedroom. "Were you done with the shower?"

She frowned at him, ignoring his question. "Jason, are you sure you shouldn't stay in bed a bit longer?" she asked, "You don't need to be at work for a while."

"I can't really sleep anyway, now the sun's up," he told her, "I was just going to have a shower."

Evelyn sighed but knew there was no way to convince him to go back to bed now. "I'm done," she told him. "What did you want for breakfast?"

Jason shrugged, "Whatever you're having is cool."

"Cereal it is," Evelyn muttered as Jason ducked into the bathroom.

She had just poured herself yet another bowl and grabbed the newspaper when there was a knock on the door. She ignored it, the police had cleared the press from outside the building and the landlord, who was now back on their side, had threatened to evict anyone that let them into the building.

The sound of a key being put into the lock startled her but she barely had time to be worried before the door opened and her future sister-in-law entered, shutting it firmly behind her.

"Sorry," Sophie apologised, noting her startled look and still dressed in her pyjamas, holding a towel and a bag of clothes, "I thought the door was more polite than the window but then I thought you guys might not be letting people who knocked in either."

Evelyn sighed and allowed herself to relax. "No, we had a few journalists try and bribe their way into the building last week," she explained.

"You too?" Sophie sighed. "I hope your landlord is more forgiving than ours, he's threatened to get me and Dani evicted if they break another window."

"Is that Sophie?" Jason's voice asked, the man himself emerging from the bedroom a moment later, dressed only in trousers and towelling his hair cry.

"Wow, hey! You know what Sophie think is great in the morning?" his sister asked, covering her eyes, "Everyone wearing clothes, especially my brother."

"Yeah?" Jason replied, raising his eyebrows and not making any move to put a top on, "You know what Jason thinks is great?" he asked her, "Having his _own_ apartment where he can wear as much or as little as he wants."

"Doesn't Evelyn live here as well?"

"No complaints from me," Evelyn chimed in, smiling at Jason.

"Fine," Sophie sighed, "I'm having a shower," she told them, heading to the bathroom.

"What's wrong with yours?" Jason yelled after her.

"What'd she say?" Evelyn asked, hearing a muffled reply but unable to make out the words.

Jason sighed, "Dani used all their hot water."

Evelyn laughed. "Nice to have a normal problem, I suppose."

"She's always got an excuse. Doesn't explain the seven other times she comes over every month," Jason grumbled, kissing her lightly before moving into the kitchen.

"At least she said hello this time," Evelyn commented, trying to find something that wasn't about her fiancée's father to read in the paper.

"Well, now she knows you know she doesn't have to hide does she?" Jason called, disappearing back into the bedroom and reappearing a moment later, pulling a T-shirt over his head- to Evelyn's mild disappointment, it wasn't like _she_ had x-ray vision..

"When were you going to tell them I knew?" Evelyn asked curiously, putting the paper aside for a moment. The question had been on her mind ever since Jason had proposed, a week to the day ago.

As much as she had understood his parent's reasoning behind not wanting their son to divulge the family secret, she had also worried he was never going to tell them she knew. It bothered her slightly that she still didn't really know her boyfriend's side of the family, having only seen them on odd occasions like holidays and Jason's birthday. It was even more annoying when she knew it was no trouble at all to go from one city to the next but they weren't allowed to because Jason didn't want to upset his parents.

"Probably at our wedding," Jason replied, shrugging as if it was no big deal. "I mean, they might have figured it out after I told them we were engaged though, they know me well enough to know I'd never ask you to spend the rest of your life with me without telling you _everything._"

Evelyn nodded slowly, twirling her engagement ring around her finger as several other questions bubbling to the top of her mind. Jason looked at her oddly and she smiled, trying to put him at ease. "We'll never know now will we?" she asked.

"I guess not," Jason sighed. "Evie, I know this isn't easy, and I know it's not _going_ to be easy but-"

"Why did you never save anyone before?" she asked, interrupting him, the question bursting out before she could stop it.

"Pardon?" Jason seemed thrown by her sudden change in topic.

"They-" she held up the newspaper "-have been keeping a tally. _'__Jason Kent has saved over a hundred and thirty-two lives since his father was revealed to be Superman and allowed his children, including his eldest son came out of hiding__'_," she read from the page, "that's in one week," she reminded him.

"Evie…" Jason looked confused. "I've told you before-"

"I know." Evelyn nodded, folding the newspaper and looking up at him. "But I didn't really think about it before. A _hundred and thirty-two lives_," she repeated. ""I just want to know if all those people would really be dead if your father's secret hadn't been blown. I mean, the only reason you, Sophie and Dean are doing the hero-stuff now is because the secret's already out, isn't it? What would have happened to these people if last Monday had just been another day?"

"It's complicated, Evie," Jason replied, pouring himself some cereal. "I mean, Dad was out of action last week anyway so I don't know if those people would have died."

"I suppose, but-"

"All done," Sophie announced, appearing from the bathroom fully dressed.

"What?" Jason asked, looking shocked, "You were in there for like a _minute_."

She shrugged, "Super-speed comes in handy times like these, especially seen-as I didn't even need to wash my hair." She frowned at them as she sat down. "Did I interrupt something?"

Jason just shook his head and looked at his fiancée. "No, nothing," Evelyn lied, she wanted to discuss it more but she didn't want to do it now and certainly not in front of Sophie. "We'll talk more tonight," she told Jason softly, kissing him to show him she wasn't mad at him, just confused.

"Hello?" Sophie interrupted them, "I'm eating here."

"_Hello_?" Jason replied in the same tone, "Our apartment, remember?"

Evelyn couldn't help laughing at the two of them. Sometimes she was glad her brothers and sisters couldn't drop by randomly for meals. She got along okay with them but she hardly wanted to see them as much as Jason did his family.

"So, did you hear?" Jason asked conversationally, "Mom thinks she has a lead on who was talking to the press about us."

Sophie frowned. "You know," she started, "I wish no one had tried to kill Ella as much as anyone, but don't you think they're taking this mole thing a little too seriously? How do we even know there is one?"

"I think the information the _Inquisitor _had is too accurate to ignore," Jason told her.

"Is it?" Sophie asked, and continued as Jason and Evelyn looked at her. "I mean, doesn't it stand to reason that Chris is the youngest so he'd probably have the least powers?"

"How do you explain them knowing that Lucy and Ella had all of Dad's abilities except flying then?" Jason asked her.

"No, think about it," Sophie insisted, "If you read all the interviews Dad's done over the years, and I bet now the secret's out that's exactly what they're doing, he mentions more than once that when he came to Earth his powers happened over time _and_ that flight was the last. Doesn't it kind of make sense that that would be the last to develop?"

"The _Inquisitor _seemed pretty sure of themselves," Jason replied, clearing in disagreement with his sister.

"Oh, come _on_, Jase," Sophie sighed, rolling her eyes, "It's the _Inquisitor _not the _Planet_. Of course they present it as hard fact. They don't give a crap if it's true or not so long as their crappy paper sells."

Evelyn didn't comment, she knew enough from experience not to get involved in family arguments. The _Inquisitor_ was one of the papers Sophie had bought with her and Evelyn decided to see what was in it today. So far, over the past week, aside from their 'which kids have which powers' article, they had been just been following all the other major news outlets with whatever new information about the Kent family popped up.

But as she pulled it out from under the _Metropolis Star_, which once again had the iconic picture of Clark Kent's brown suit blown off revealing his blue one, she felt her heart jump to her throat.

Sophie clearly hadn't even glanced at the papers she'd carried over because if she had she probably would be arguing so vehemently against the idea of someone leaking information.

"Jason, did you tell anyone about how only New Kryptonite affects you guys?" she asked slowly.

Jason gave her an odd look, breaking off his argument with Sophie for a moment. "No, I avoided it with the _Planet _and they didn't print anything."

"I'm pretty certain Dad didn't mention the kryptonite used on Ella was special to anyone else either," Sophie chimed in, "Why?"

Evelyn sighed and turned the paper around to show them the glaring headline in huge letters across the front page of the _Inquisitor:_

_Only New Kryptonite Harmful To Kent Children_

Sophie swore loudly as she leaned forward to read the text underneath the picture of New Krypton, the island that had almost killed her father. Evelyn skimmed it quickly, but she already new most of the information. It explained in detail that New Kryptonite was a slightly different form of kryptonite created using kryptonite and stolen Kryptonian technology merged with the sea floor off the coast of Metropolis. It held slightly different qualities to regular, pure kryptonite but until today those qualities had been of interest only to scientists.

"Do you think Mom and Dad have seen this?" Sophie asked after a moment, once she'd finished reading.

"Definitely," Jason said, nodding. "This is really not good."

"You think?" Sophie sighed, "Now anyone who wants to take another stab at one of us has far less chance of getting it wrong."

"Well now do you agree that someone close to us is selling stuff to the media?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It's looking more like that," she relented, scanning the article again. "Especially this-" she pointed and read a part aloud- "where it says, '_a source close to the family'_, in the one about our powers they never said where the info came from."

Evelyn bit her lip, not sure if she should comment but when the question remained unasked she decided to get it out. "Do you have any idea who it could be?"

"Probably none of my or Jason's friends," Sophie stated confidently.

Evelyn and Jason shared a glance. "Soph, I know why don't want to think anyone we know would do that-"

"No, I accept people I thought were friends could do that," Sophie interrupted him, "just look at what Natalie did when she found out. My roommate who stole my stuff and sold it to CNN," she added, when Jason and Evelyn looked blankly at her.

"Oh, right," Evelyn nodded as she recalled the home movies of Sophie that had been broadcast across the world last week. It seemed like a lot had happened since then.

"It's okay, the cops are looking for her," Sophie assured them. "But I was saying-"

"The cops?" Jason asked, looking surprised.

Evelyn's arms started to hurt a little so she folded the paper and put it down on the table as Sophie explained to her brother, "She was living with us but she did go through my personal belongings and stole several of them. We lawyers call that theft."

"Student lawyer," Jason corrected her almost automatically. Evelyn's mouth twitched upwards at the exchange. Jason often told her about how he was worried Sophie was always getting ahead of herself. "But why can't it be someone we know?" he continued, frowning at her.

Sophie shrugged, her breakfast all but forgotten on the table in front of her. "It just seems like it's someone in Metropolis. The _Inquisitor_'s based there, as is the _Daily Planet_ which also got that information, presumably from the same source. I don't know about you but I haven't told any of my friends in Metropolis about any of this stuff. Have you?"

"No," Jason admitted, "but Metropolis is also where Dad lives. Even before people knew Clark Kent's home address everyone knew Superman lived there."

"True," Sophie replied, "but that's why I said _likely_. Besides, don't you think it's more probable it's one of the twins' friends trying to make a quick buck than one of ours?"

"Everyone loves money," Jason told her. Evelyn was starting to wonder if they hadn't forgotten she was there, they were focused so intently on each other.

"You're a TV star," Sophie reminded her brother, "so are most of the friends you have now. I go to Harvard, and so do most of the people I know, that's hardly cheap. Not many of the people we associate with are short on money. I'm not saying it's not possible. Just that people we know have less motive."

"Spoken like a true lawyer," Evelyn muttered, momentarily forgetting that they could both hear her no matter how low her voice was.

"Thank you," Sophie said with a smile. "Do you think we should go help out?" she asked, glancing again at the _Inquisitor_'s front page.

"Mom and Dad will sort it out, we're talking about the two reporters who bought down Intergang, they'll find this person," Jason said with confidence. "And if they do need us I'm sure they'll call."

"I suppose," Sophie agreed.

There was a lull in the conversation and it seemed like a good a time as any for Evelyn to go. She was getting a tad on the late side anyway. "I think that's me," she announced, clearing up her dishes. "I've got a long day dealing with Mr. Loren ahead of me and that's never fun."

"Is he the one you were telling me about last month?" Jason asked, "The client for the apartment building downtown who can't say your name right?"

"That's him," Evelyn confirmed, "I've got a whole fun day of being called 'Ev-lyn' among other things."

"Oh," Sophie laughed, "I get that as well- in one of my study groups there's this Greek guy who insists on calling me 'Sophia', no matter how many times I tell him there's no 'a' in my name."

"It's annoying isn't it?" Evelyn shrugged on her jacket and grabbed her purse, preparing to leave.

"I'll see you off outside," Jason said, getting up, "that way I can say goodbye without offending my sister's delicate sensibilities."

Sophie gave him a look that said he wasn't fooling anyone and called after them, "I won't listen, I swear."

Jason closed the door behind them and Evelyn frowned at it, wishing she could see through it. "Is she listening?" she asked. She liked Sophie well enough but she didn't want her listening in on private conversations between here and her fiancée.

"She's not," Jason assured her, glancing at, and likely through, the door. "Sophie's generally good with that. It's Lucy you gotta watch," he said.

Evelyn smiled slightly but it vanished quickly as she started. "Jason, I'm sorry about springing all that stuff about 'how-many-people-haven't-you saved'-"

"No," he interrupted her, "you were fine. I wouldn't want you to keep something like that to yourself," he told her, "things are changing so fast and if you have questions you need to ask them."

"I know." Evelyn nodded, "but I was stupid to bring that up," she told him, "You were right, if no one had found out about your Dad then Ella wouldn't have been attacked and he wouldn't have been tied up at the hospital and he would have saved those people instead of you, right?" she explained. "I just…" she shrugged, "it's been a weird week, you know?"

"Yeah," Jason sighed, relaxing a bit, seemingly satisfied with her explanation. "It has."

"Okay." Evelyn nodded, shrugging on her jacket. "Have a good day at work."

"You too… are you sure-"

"_Jason_," Evelyn sighed, "I'll be fine. I'm at the office the whole day today and I've already talked to my boss about security and the press and all that."

"I still want to take you," he insisted.

"And I still want to go by myself," Evelyn told him, standing on her toes to place another reassuring kiss on his lips. "I'm a big girl, Jason, I can take care of myself. I've got that super-high-tech watch as well."

"I know," Jason sighed, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her close, "but after what happened to Ella… people are out to get us and the people we care about," he reminded her, "and there's no one I care about more than you."

"Don't get too sappy now, dear," Evelyn laughed, trying to lighten the mood, even as she returned the hug. "It's not _my_ photo on the TV and the front page of the papers either," she told him. "I'll be fine- you can't be with me every second of every day and as much as I love you I think I'd go mad if you were."

Jason sighed, accepting he'd lost. "Just promise me you'll stay safe."

"Because being an architect is so dangerous," Evelyn joked, sighing when Jason didn't even smile. "Seriously Jason, I'll be fine." She pulled out of his arms before he could argue again and headed to the lift.

"Love you," Jason called after her.

"Love you to," she called over her shoulder, relieved he wasn't trying to follow. She understood his need to protect her, especially after the attack on Ella made it clear people were willing to hurt the Kents and those close to them. But she didn't know how much more of his incessant hovering over her she could take. She loved Jason but she needed space to breath every now and then.

She also needed time to think. She frowned as she exited the lift on the bottom floor, hoping Jason wasn't still watching her. She had lied before, something she hated doing to him but she hadn't known what else to say and he had enough stress today without worrying about that all day.

A hundred and thirty-two people. One or two she maybe could have accepted, but to know her fiancée could make such a huge difference and had chosen not too?

No, Evelyn decided, that conversation was very much not over.

* * *

It took all the self-control Jason possessed not to run after Evie and drag her back to the apartment where she'd be safe. She'd been fine going back to work last week but she'd allowed Jason to fly her there and back. He didn't like the idea of her starting up walking to work again.

Evelyn had been more than persistent in getting him to agree, and Jason hated arguing with her.

Taking his own advice from earlier though, he put it out of his mind, still tuned in on Evelyn's heartbeat and alert for her watch signal, but consciously trying to push the worry out of his mind.

"She'll be fine, Jase," Sophie assured him, reading his face. "Right now at least, people are more focused on Dad, Evelyn's less of a target than us or someone in Metropolis."

Usually he enjoyed breakfasts with his sister, particularly if Dean joined them as well, although he did prefer it when she showed up after Evelyn had left and didn't make him act as immature as siblings can be in front of his fiancée. Right now though, all he wanted was to finish his breakfast in silence, do a fly-by check of Evelyn and then get back to his day job.

Thankfully, Sophie either picked up on his unwillingness to make small talk or felt the same way and they finished the rest of their breakfasts in a comfortable silence. Jason enjoyed the peace, aside from Evie, he kept his hearing inside the apartment. He could almost imagine that it was just another day, a normal Monday and he was getting ready to go to work. Monday shows were always good, like Kate always said, kids needed the Monday show to get them through the week.

Kate… he frowned, remembering the less-than-friendly reception he'd got from her on his last visit to set. Tristan had promised to talk to her, he hoped it would help.

"Something on your mind?" his sister asked and he realized his face must have betrayed his thoughts.

He briefly considered grinning and shrugging it off but Sophie wouldn't have been fooled. She was training to be a lawyer after all.

Instead he just shrugged and settled for the truth. "I'm not really looking forward to going back to work."

Sophie looked surprised. "You love your work," she said, "and they're certainly not going to fire you. You said they were even giving you a raise."

"Yeah," Jason sighed, pushing away his unfinished toast. "But… they want me to start using my powers and all that… I just don't think it's going to be like it used to."

Sophie didn't say anything. She glanced towards the muted TV, watching with mild disinterest as the almost over-played video of their father rushing in front of the rocket launcher was shown again.

"It's not like I want to quit," Jason continued, watching the screen with her as a scene of _BreakOut_ was shown- again. "I do love my job, really. I'm just worried it's…"

"Not going to be the same?" Sophie asked, turning her attention back to him. "Jason, nothing's going to be the same. _Ever. _And some people really need to realise that."

Jason gave her a strange look, prompting her to elaborate. "Haven't you noticed how everyone, Mom, Dad, Uncle Richard even," she continued, "has been trying to forcibly act normal. I mean, since you guys talked at the hospital, Uncle Richard has just been acting like this is any other time he and Eric come to visit you. Like you're not getting stalked by paparazzi every time they step out."

"Have you even been out on foot yet?" Jason challenged her. From what he'd seen on TV, he'd been the only one of his siblings to go out in public over the weekend. Dean said he had as well, but the desert Outback in Australia seemed much better place to avoid press than the streets of New York.

"I've been out," Sophie told him, a tad defensively.

"I said 'on foot'," Jason reminded her. "Meaning covering for Dad doesn't count."

"No," his sister admitted, "but that's exactly why I don't want to. I don't want random people taking photos of me when I'm just out trying to do grocery shopping."

"Sounds like you need to start taking your own advice," Jason told her, getting up and starting to clear the table. "If everything's changed and there's nothing we can do about it, shouldn't we be getting used to it?"

"I don't want too," Sophie said, sounding a lot more like the little sister Jason remembered from primary school than the sophisticated, Ivy League student she tried to be most of the time.

"Soph, you just said a second ago things aren't going to change back so-"

"I know, I'm sorry," Sophie apologised. "I just…" she trailed of and sighed, resting her face in her hands for a moment before looking up. "We talked about this before didn't we? About what would happen if Dad's secret ever was blown?"

"We always knew it could happen," Jason said, nodding as he recalled the few times they had considered this situation could actually eventuate.

"Not like this though." Sophie shook her head and looked again at the _Inquisitor _headline, proudly presenting a how-to guide for criminals to hurt their family. "Ella getting in hospital, our friends selling us out, me almost killing someone, Dad narrowly avoiding having a mental breakdown."

"We'll get through it," Jason tried to assure her, "even if it's hard right to see the end of it. You know as well as I do that the media lose interest in even the biggest news stories eventually. We just need to hold on."

"I gotta get back to the apartment," Sophie said, abruptly changing the subject. "I've got a meeting with the dean at Harvard soon. See you, Sorry for coming over unannounced," she added as she picked up her pyjamas and towel, her tone indicating she was aware Jason would have rather been alone that morning.

He winced, immediately regretting the thought- now she was actually leaving he realised he had liked having someone else there after Evelyn left. "You're always welcome, Soph," he told her truthfully, "even if you do make me act like a ten year old again."

"What are baby sisters for?" she asked, grinning at him. "Oh, come here," she muttered, dropping her bag and moving forward to hug him tightly.

He returned it gladly, pleased they weren't going to part on bad terms.

Once she was gone he did all the normal things he did before leaving for work, check the doors were locked, secure the windows, turn the appliances off. It was almost relaxing to do something so familiar.

Then, with nothing else to do to put it off, he glanced at his watch and headed to work.

* * *

"So… you're cool now, right?" Tristan asked with some apprehension.

Kate shrugged. "I guess," she sighed, "I mean, after what happened to Ella, I'd probably look like a total bitch if I was still angry wouldn't I?"

Tristan wasn't sure if he was supposed to reply to that statement or not. He choose not.

"I'm still hurt," Kate warned, shooting him an angry look, "but-" she sighed again, her face relaxing, "you probably know him better than I do, even if his Dad is from another planet, he's still a guy, isn't he?"

Tristan wasn't exactly sure what that meant and he was afraid if he said the wrong thing now, Kate's tentative resolve to make up with Jason would break.

"Okay, you win," Kate announced finally, "I'll talk to him and try to understand," she promised. "Tell Jason he owes you whatever he promised to get you to barge into my dressing room and change my mind."

"Will do." Tristan grinned, happy that they might be able to get through the day with minimal tension on set. He'd had the awkward experience of hosting the happy, upbeat TV show while trying to ignore inter-cast tensions before and he wasn't keen on repeating it.

He looked into Jason's dressing room as he passed but he still wasn't in. He wasn't yet late, but he usually got in early anyway. Then again, Tristan supposed today was hardly a usual day for Jason.

"Tristan?" Speak of the devil…

"Jason," Tristan grinned as he greeted his friend coming down the hall. "I was just looking for you. Kate wants to talk."

"Good or bad?" Jason asked, picking up an envelope that had been left on his table.

"Good," Tristan told him as he followed him into the room. "I spoke to her and she's agreed you had some reasons for not telling her who your Dad was and you owe me some Kryptonian language lessons."

Jason didn't appear to be listening, he was frowning as he read the piece of paper he'd taken from the envelope.

"Jason?" Tristan asked, confused. Jason had seemed upset about Kate's action towards him before but now he didn't seem interested.

"Good," he muttered distractedly, "I gotta go," he turned and walked straight back out of the room.

"What? Jason, wait up," Tristan called, hurrying after, "Holy crap, you _are _strong," he exclaimed as Jason ignored his attempts to pull him backwards. It was one thing to watch your friend bench press a car on TV but it was another thing entirely to experience the effortless strength and power the twenty-six year old possessed.

"Tristan, I need to talk to the producers," Jason sighed, stopping only once the other man released him. "Have you seen this?" he asked, holding up the piece of paper which Tristan recognised as a copy of the same memo he'd found on his dressing room table that morning.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "We got a few more sponsors, so?" he asked.

"_So_," Jason said, his tone indicating he knew Tristan understood exactly why he was annoyed, "I told them I wanted to keep my job, I didn't tell them I wanted to do adds for-" he flipped the paper over and frowned, "- Bacon and… milk, really?" He shook his head. "I loved this job," he sighed.

Tristan was startled. "_Loved_, as in the past tense?" he asked, "Jason, I know it's been kinda hectic-"

"You have no idea!" Jason exclaimed suddenly, "No one here does. They just think, 'oh, great, Jason's Dad is Superman, now he's even more famous as well and look, he can also fly, quick, let's call every advertiser _ever_ and sell him out'."

"They're not selling you out," Tristan told him, wincing when Jason raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Okay, maybe they're trying to… a little. But they can't if you don't let them. I mean, do you know how famous you are right now? We're all getting pay-rises thanks to you and I'm pretty sure you'll be able to put whatever the hell you like in your contract."

"I just…" Jason stopped abruptly and Tristan narrowly avoided walking into him, which from what he'd seen Jason do on TV, probably would have hurt. "I want this job but… I don't want people to think I'm using my powers to make money or something."

"Who cares what other people think?" Tristan asked with a laugh. "Right, you do," he muttered as Jason gave him an annoyed look. "Look, _everyone_ uses their talents to get ahead in life, in their job."

"Not everyone has my… _talents,_" Jason said, looking down at the memo again.

"You're right," Tristan agreed, nodding, "not everyone can relate to kids as well as you do, not everyone has what it takes to host a live television show in front of an audience five days a week."

Jason just raised an eyebrow.

Tristan sighed, "And, of course, not everyone's Dad's from a different planet and not everyone can fly and juggle cars but you got this job long before anyone knew that and long before they tried to get you to use your secret super-powers to draw in ratings."

Jason nodded slowly and turned to go back to the dressing room. Tristan took this as a good sign. "Anyway, this is the first day you've been back since everyone found out about your Dad," Tristan reminded him, "you don't even know what it's going to be like."

"I guess," Jason sighed, sitting back down in his chair. "Sorry," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair, "you're right, I'll give it a go before I decide anything. I just had a strange morning and Evie's by herself at work all day…"

"I know, well, no I don't- not really- but… You know, I'm here for you, man," Tristan muttered, a bit awkwardly but truthfully.

Jason didn't reply.

"I'm going to hair and makeup," Tristan said after a while, "I'll see you there," he said, trying not to leave an doubt in his voice.

"See you," Jason called as he walked out the door.

Tristan was well along the hallway when he started grinning. He was on a roll today.

* * *

"Good morning, sir."

The man known only as Smith nodded his acknowledgement of the greeting. "How are we doing?" he asked, not bothering with formalities.

"All set up," the man who'd greeted him replied, swinging the screen of the computer he was working at around so that Smith could see the live feed from the cameras. "Four cameras, poorly hidden and marked just like you asked."

"Good." Smith nodded and was about to make another enquiry but the man, who'd only ever given his name as Harris, had been hired for a reason and supplied the information without being prompted.

"The Pearson brothers accepted the contract. Miss Muldoon will see the cameras and hopefully guess we're watching, but she won't see the real watchers. Should keep her in line but Joe's agreed to take her daughter for a ride around the block after school if she shows any signs of talking to the cops."

"Excellent," Smith said, pleased with the work Harris had accomplished in the time he'd being having lunch with Tracey.

Harris continued to tap away at his computer as Smith went over to the large table that occupied the majority of the space in the small living room. Various newspapers were spread out on top of it. All from the past week and all relating to specific information about the Man of Steel. Namely, his children.

Smith frowned as his eyes rested on two separate articles in the _Inquisitor_. "How far are we on confirming the claims in the _Inquisitor_?" he asked. So far they had been the only paper to have any of the sort of information he needed in it, if it was true. The _Daily Planet_ had the most exclusive and reliable information of course, but they seemed to be remaining loyal to their employee and not publishing anything that could be used against Mr. Kent or his family. Which was precisely the sort of information Smith needed.

The tapping stopped as Harris replied to his question, "I enquired about the article regarding their powers and they stonewalled me, after the claim about the types of kryptonite though I sent Black to the office."

"Has he returned?" Smith asked, trailing his hand over the bold face font of the words 'Only New Kryptonite Harmful To Kent Children'.

"Not yet, if their source is reputable we don't want to scare them so he's taking a subtler approach than usual. Hopefully if this is true, we can set up someone inside the paper to get the information we need from them."

"Good idea." Smith nodded, once again impressed at Harris' initiative. If he wasn't so vital to their current operation he would have hired someone to remove him so he wouldn't be a threat. He made a mental note to look into that after the operation was complete. "Anything new with Mike Baker?"

"He's recovering from his injuries," Harries said, bringing up a patient chart on one of his computer screens. "He's also talking to the police- a lot. He's openly admitted to attempting to kill Eleanor Kent, which puts her sister on firm legal ground. She may have even been within her rights to kill him. MPD has dropped all charges against her."

"Has he given the name of the supplier?"

Harris shook his head. "He doesn't even know himself. Black says it was his friend Logger, and you know how careful he is with names."

Smith nodded. "Isn't everyone? Does he have any more?"

Harris shook his head. "Not sure- got in touch with him and he wouldn't admit to anything. Although, he did say that it would be hard to tell between the normal stuff and the New K without actually being the one who went into the harbor to get it."

Smith's face never betrayed his emotions, but inside he was frowning. His plan was dependent on a fool-proof way to keep the half-alien children of Superman and Lois Lane subdued for a significant period of time. If the information in the_ Inquisitor_ was solid, and the current evidence seemed to say that it was, then New Kryptonite was the best choice and the normal stuff would be usless. However, any form of the glowing, green rock was reasonably hard to get hold of unless, like Mike Baker, you just got lucky.

Smith didn't like relying on luck.

"Can you track down the stuff the military collected from the harbor?" he asked after a while, remembering the massive operation the Navy had pulled after criminals began hiring diving equipment to get the precious mineral left behind by Luthor's continent.

"I'll try," Harris promised, making a note of it.

"Don't try, do it," Smith ordered him. "And don't forget to book the Thomas family into the Hilton next week."

"Of course." Harris nodded obediently. "Susan, Bernard and their son… Hayden," he recited, glancing at the fake birth certificates on the table. "Will any of their cousins be joining them?"

Smith considered for a moment. If they couldn't secure the kryptonite needed then too many false identities would increase their chances of getting caught, but if they did, then he wanted to keep his options open. "Just seventeen year old, Jamie," he decided. If Harris was really as good as he claimed though, there would be no investigation into the Thomas family at all and Robert would remain completely outside suspicion.

Smith didn't like relying on other people.

* * *

**A/N: **It's that time of year again! The Superman Movieverse Fanfic awards are now open for nominations. There are links on my profile page to the awards and my eligible fic list. Almost all the fics in the Revelations-verse are eligible to be nominated, you don't have to have an LJ account to nom so there's no excuse!

Next chapter shouldn't take that long, fingers crossed. Also, with this chapter, I officially break 100,000 words! Woot!

Reviews are love!


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** This chapter took me by surprise I have to say. I had to split it in two (again) before I was even half done. Yes, this was originally supposed to be half a chapter *headdesk*. Now it's just a massive whole- the biggest chapter yet.

**Chapter Twenty-Three: **_**Day One, Take Two**_

* * *

Dean Kent was lying on his back, in the middle of a desert, staring at the stars.

While he had been able to fly since he was fifteen and was therefore no stranger to the sky, he had still grown up in the middle of Metropolis, a city whose glow often obscured the stars even when the air was clear of clouds and smog.

It was incredible though, how many there really were, out here, so far from any cities with their light pollution. He didn't even need to leave the ground or look beyond what a normal human being could see to see more than he could count.

He was thinking, and he had plenty to occupy his mind with. The last week had been a particularly intense, stressful and emotional one. It had been quite a shock coming back to his friends in Australia where the presence of the media was virtually non-existent and the general public seemed only mildly interested in the story after a week, having not had the same level of contact Metropolis and much of the Northern Hemisphere had.

Of course, when the campground he'd found his friends at had discovered who he was they had been a great deal more interested. He had lost count of the amount of autographs he'd signed before he'd escaped to help with a house fire in Tasmania. His friends had taken the opportunity to move on while he was away and had since avoided mentioning his last name.

It wasn't particularly easy hiding who he was when his picture was everywhere but Georgia had bought him what she had named the 'standard celebrity-hiding kit' of a baseball cap and sunglasses which didn't even get a second glance with the blazing sun overhead most days.

His friends had taken the whole thing rather well. When he had arrived back on Saturday morning their time Will and Kyle had greeted him as if nothing had changed, Georgia had bombarded him with questions all through breakfast but settled by lunch and treated him the same as she always had. Jackie was the only one treating him oddly but Dean had only known her for a few weeks compared with several years for the others so he wasn't too concerned.

Speaking of his friends, a familiar heartbeat was approaching, or more accurately, stumbling towards him.

"Dean?" Will called, making an awful lot of noise as he tried to locate his friend.

"Over here," Dean called, sitting up just as Will tripped over a nearby rock.

Dean caught him before he could injure himself. "Wow, thanks," Will gasped, slowly sitting down next to his friend once he had recovered. "It's so dark out here."

"You could have bought a torch," Dean reminded him, amused and warmed by the fact that his friend had come to make sure he was okay, even when he now knew he couldn't really be harmed by anything out here.

"Eh, Coulda, shoula, woulda," Will muttered, waving his hand dismissively. "Can't help it now. So… what are you doing?"

"Contemplating my existence," Dean answered, keeping his face straight and his tone perfectly serious.

"Sounds deep," Will commented, sitting beside him, "have you achieved true enlightenment yet?"

"I'm working on it."

Will laughed then asked, "What are you really doing?"

Dean sighed, "I can't really say… I'm thinking about something I heard last week but I shouldn't tell you what- it's not really mine to tell and I promised I wouldn't."

"Oh, want me to leave you to it?" he asked, not sounding offended in the least.

"No," Dean sighed again, "it's fine, so long as you don't mind being a little confused by what I say, I can't tell you the whole story but I wouldn't mind talking to someone."

Will shrugged and lay back down. "I'm fine with that, I'll just lie here and, if you feel the need, confuse away."

They lay in comfortable silence for about half an hour, just watching the stars turn over head before something occurred to Dean. "Ella doesn't have low self-esteem or anything," he remarked out loud.

He'd thought Will had drifted off but his friend surprised him slightly, asking, "Your sister? The one who was in hospital?"

"Yeah, the taller blonde one."

Will shrugged. "She seemed pretty confident to me when I meet her… last year was it? Not shy or anything."

"She hasn't changed much," Dean told him, "not like that I mean. She's still confident, until last week but we've all been stressed this past week…" he muttered. "She's never acted oddly towards Mom or Dad but she said-" he stopped again and frowned at the sky.

"Would it help if I put my iPod on?" Will asked, "Then you could talk without worrying I'd hear and break your promise."

"Technically she only said not to tell Mom or Dad," Dean sighed, recalling with some guilt how Jason and Sophie had reacted when he'd told them. He knew Ella had meant not to tell anyone, she'd probably never trust him again after that.

But still… Dean had been so completely stunned by the sort of feelings she'd expressed. Ashamed of being half Kryptonian? It had always been something Dean himself had been rather proud of and he'd just assumed his siblings felt the same. Jason and Lucy at least he remembered at one time or other stating it directly.

He'd always thought of himself as someone who kept secrets, probably why Ella told him in the first place. In fact he wouldn't be surprised if he knew more about each member of the family than anyone else. Lucy was the one who told everyone anything and Sophie could keep a secret- until she needed something to hold over you.

He sat up suddenly and screwed his eyes shut, pressing the heels of his hands firmly on top as he tried to clear his mind. Ella's revelation had completely thrown him and he'd just had to tell someone else so he didn't have to deal with it himself. That was understandable, right?

"You okay?" Will asked, sitting up as well and looking at him with some concern.

"Yeah," Dean nodded, opening his eyes and running his fingers through his hair. "I'm just… thinking."

"You need some time _away_ or anything?" he asked, his emphasis on 'away' and his glace towards the sky indicating what he meant.

"No, I'll be okay."

"You're not going to stay with us though are you?" Will asked, he sounded a bit saddened but not surprised.

"Probably not," Dean admitted, "I came back down because Dad just wanted everyone to try and get back to living as normally as possible as fast as we can. But… this attack on us, Ella was lucky but I'm worried this is just getting started. Like it was just a warning."

"You know you're only eighteen, right?" Will asked, turning to look at him through the dark, "You don't have to shoulder everyone's problems."

"I turn nineteen in a month," Dean reminded him.

"Well, excuse me," Will laughed, "that makes all the difference. I suppose it's not that bad though, we only have about three weeks left until we were planning to go home anyway."

"Yeah, and it's not like I can't come back any time I want now," Dean agreed, "I'll stay for a bit longer though, I don't want Dad to think he somehow ruined this for me."

"So… can you see where your Dad's from from here?" Will asked, changing the subject.

"You can't see it anymore," Dean told him, "but it's over there." He pointed to a spot just above the horizon. "See those three stars sort of in a line?"

"I think so," Will muttered, leaning closer to Dean so he could properly see where his friend was pointing.

"It was just to the left of there."

"Cool."

"Yeah." Dean smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He thought it was utterly amazing that half of him came from so far away and he was proud to help carry the legacy of his father's birthplace.

Now he just had to make Ella see that as well.

* * *

Lucy and Ella Kent were hardly the first famous students to attend Vanderworth Academy. The first to be so suddenly skyrocketed to fame perhaps and certainly the first human-alien hybrids. But it wasn't as if the school had never dealt with the press before.

In fact, not two years before Lucy and Ella had arrived, they'd even had a prince on the roll. A prestigious and wealthy private school often attracted those with matching wealth and prestige. However a few were like Ella, part of the scholarship program that helped intelligent students attend a better school than they might have otherwise been able to afford.

Vanderworth Academy had made the news before and probably would again but for now the school gates remained free of the hoards of news vans that had swarmed in front of them the previous week. Replaced by menacing looking security officers who wasted no time in moving along the occasional news van or paparazzo that showed up.

They didn't see much anyway, the two students they were there to photograph were already inside, and not planning on leaving the walls of the school until the final bell rang that afternoon and they were whisked back to their apartment by their father.

However they weren't exactly spared from curious stares inside either.

Ella seemed to shrink under the constant attention of their schoolmates as they walked through the halls but her sister Lucy was almost the complete opposite.

"This is so cool," she commented as they walked to their lockers. "It's like we're famous."

"We _are_ famous," Ella snapped back, glaring at anyone who stared at them for even a few moments.

"I know." Lucy grinned, waving at two of her friends across the hall from her drama class. "I can't wait for drama today, I bet Mrs Mac can help me with this. Remember Fiona Samson two years ago, her Mom won a reality show or something and she used that to meet some people who got her a recurring role in a sitcom and now-"

"Do I have Chemistry first or third today?" Ella asked out loud, clearly not listening to her sister. Lucy didn't really mind, Ella was like Sophie, too brainy to be interested in exiting jobs like singing or acting.

"I have Chem first, so you have it second. I wish I had drama first."

"Dad said today should be as normal as possible," Ella reminded her, frowning disapprovingly like Lucy imagined her Mom would when she told her that she wanted to use this burst of fame to get her first acting job.

"Pancakes on Monday is normal?" Lucy replied with a grin, hoping the joke would distract her sister.

"Whatever, hey-" she broke off and frowned at something behind her sister. "Catch you in Stats," she muttered, ducking her head and setting off as fast as she could, without being too fast and drawing more attention to herself.

Lucy frowned and turned to see what had scared her off. "Oh," she said unenthusiastically as she found her (former?) best friend, Sasha. "It's you."

"Hey," Sasha muttered, somewhat nervous as Lucy continued her emotionless stare. "Um… look, I'm sorry about last week, okay? I was kinda hurt you didn't tell me about you Dad because I really wouldn't have told anyone but then-" she shrugged awkwardly "- you know, Ella happened and I get why you didn't tell me."

Lucy felt her mouth twitch. Sasha never could hold a grudge and she was already forgiven but half of her wanted to stretch it out a little longer just to teach her friend a lesson.

But with everything that had been happening she wanted someone she could trust on her side. "Apology accepted," she said, closing her locker firmly. "I know you were hurt but I really couldn't tell _anyone_."

"I know that now," Sasha admitted, walking with Lucy to their first class, like they had almost every day before last week, "I just didn't understand it before."

"It is kinda a lot to get used to," Lucy told her. "There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to being totally honest with you about now."

"How do you mean?" Sasha asked with interest.

"You know how you mentioned once I was never free on Thursdays and I said it was just a co-incidence?"

"Yeah…" Sasha replied slowly, nodding.

"Well, Thursdays are sort of like our after-school Kryptonian lessons," Lucy told her, the words at both strange to finally be able to say out loud and huge relief to admit openly.

"Kryptonian, cause your Dad's from Krypton, right?" Lucy nodded and Sash continued, "So... like, you learn how to speak it?" She sounded curious and Lucy was glad she didn't seem mad.

"Yeah, the language is a bit of it, but he teaches us about customs and the history of the place and all that," she explained, almost continuing with how they visited the Fortress sometimes to see the buildings but her parents had talked to them over the weekend about not saying too much without discussing it with them first and Lucy thought it best not to say too much. "I have some of my exercise books with Kryptonian writing and the traditional fairy tales they had and all that if you wanted to see," she offered, trying to show her friend she was willing to share her whole life with her now that she could.

"That would be really cool," Sasha said, sounding really enthusiastic and Lucy was so relieved they were back to normal. "Isn't it weird though?" she asked suddenly, "having, like, an extra class once a week?"

"Not really." Lucy shrugged, "I never really thought about it at all, by the time I was born, Jason and Sophie were having them every week so it's just normal in our family, although their ones were on Wednesdays," she remembered. "It's no different from Alexia going to Greek school on Saturdays though is it?"

"I guess not," Sasha said, opening her mouth to say something else but instead she seemed to remember something important because her heart rate almost doubled and she let out a small, "Oh!"

"What?" Lucy asked, looking around the now almost empty halls, trying to see what Sasha was surprised about.

"No," Sasha said, grabbing her arm and pulling her in the opposite direction to their class. "I just remembered why I was sent to get you. Mrs Mac wanted to see you, all these people called over the last week and she told them you were really into drama and wanted to act someday and some of them sent talent scouts over."

"What?" Lucy stopped suddenly, Sasha almost pulling a muscle as she was stopped just as suddenly, unable to overcome her friend's massive strength. "Talent scouts."

"From Hollywood," Sasha added, grinning at her.

Lucy felt her jaw drop. It was like her dreams coming true but at the same time she was afraid of what would happen if she followed her friend to their drama teacher's office. She had told Ella she was expecting offers but now right _now._

It all seemed to be happening _so_ fast. Hell, they were barely home from the hospital, she had thought if anyone wanted to offer her a job they'd wait a bit until the family was no longer looking over their backs every five seconds for kryptonite wielding maniacs.

"Lucy?" Sasha asked, looking at her in confusion. "Come on, they want to talk to _you_. Screw Chemistry, you don't need that on the A-list."

"Yeah," Lucy replied, shaking herself out of her shock. It wasn't like she was going to be cast in a movie and go to Hollywood _today._ Her parents would at least make her wait another year before doing anything serious, then she could follow Dean and drop out a year early. It was just meeting some people, like how her sister worked at law firms in the holidays, she could just make it so she had a job waiting when she was ready.

Besides, Dad had liked her idea about getting a PR agent, and god knows they needed one. One of the people in Mrs Mac's office was bound to be or know a good one.

"Yeah," she repeated, trying to sound more confident this time, "Let's go."

* * *

"What's this?" Ella asked suspiciously eyeing the cup being held out by her best friend as she sat down beside her for their Advanced Math class with Mr Astor.

"Hot chocolate," Kim told her with a smile, "I thought it might be safer if I got it for you this time."

Ella nodded, not smiling back but accepting the drink from her friend. "Thanks."

"By the way," Kim started, the smile on her face turning into a smirk, "I know the "serious" news outlets are being harsh and all that- but have you been watching _E! _or any of the gossip shows?"

"Mom and Dad wouldn't let us turn the TV on all weekend," Ella told her, "because every single story was about us anyway."

"Oh," Kim sounded disappointed but shrugged it off, "I guess that makes sense. I was going to ask what you thought of the whole 'Clois' thing but-"

"The _what_?" Ella asked, frowning.

"Clois," Kim told her, giggling at the word, "Clark and Lois- it's like Brangelina but weirder because it's your parents."

Ella couldn't help joining in her friend's amusement, giggling as she wondered what her parents would think of the nickname. Then again- "I think couple names are the last things on my parent's minds right now," she sighed, taking another sip of her hot chocolate and enjoying the warmth it spread through her.

Mr Astor, their elderly math teacher hobbled into the room as the final bell rang, followed by several rushed-looking students who weren't keen on getting a late slip against their name.

Theodore Gregg was among them and Ella felt her face warm as she caught his eye for a moment before looking back down quickly, remembering Kim's suggestive tone as she told her how concerned their pencil-wielding classmate had been about her stabbing.

Unfortunately, Theo slid into the seat on the other side her, as no one else seemed to be keen of getting too close to her.

She didn't have an opportunity to wonder about it though, as Mr Astor had called order and Ella tried to concentrate on the ordinariness of the math class and forget that she was now an international target for anyone with a grudge against her Dad.

She could hear a few whispers throughout the room but she keep her hearing close and under control, Mr Astor was hard of hearing and his classes were often times to catch up on the latest news. It didn't mean it was about her or her family, but if it was she didn't want to know.

"Pity Michael Jackson can't die again," Kim commented as they started the set exercises, "I was just thinking- that might have taken some of the heat."

Ella snorted, appreciating her friend's attempt to make her laugh but not really feeling too amused. "You think Michael Jackson is on the same level of fame as Superman?"

Kim shrugged. "Hey, the news coverage of his death went for _weeks_, I'm just saying it might ease the load."

"That was a slow news month," Ella muttered, trying harder to ignore the eyes she could feel on her back.

She didn't even want to think how long the media storm surrounding her family was going to last, it had already been a week and it seemed it was only just getting started, although, it had been a particularly eventful week. As the thought went through her head she found her hand once again drawn to the scar on her hip.

_"They honestly didn__'__t think you__'__d make it." _Dean's words from the hospital came back to her suddenly. _"You have no idea how messed up Dad was."_

She knew how badly the attack had affected her parents, her Mom tried not to show it but over the weekend she and their Dad been finding an excuse to be wherever Ella was and somehow managing to get Lucy and Chris to be in the same room as well.

Chris had been having nightmares, she knew, and he was the only one who hadn't been seriously hurt. She'd almost been killed and she'd slept like a log the past few nights since the attack. It didn't make a lot of sense but Ella was starting to think most things in her life didn't right now.

No one had been acting like themselves in the past week, least of all her Dad who hadn't left the apartment the whole weekend and refused to turn on the TV while the kids were around. He'd even asked them not to go on the internet so they didn't have to listen to all the things people were saying about them. Ella hadn't wanted to anyway but she knew for a fact Lucy hadn't listened.

It had been a complete miracle that he'd actually let them go back to school today. She had been certain he wouldn't let them leave the house, let alone his sight, but something (or someone) had obviously convinced him otherwise.

"Hey," Kim called softly and Ella looked up to find her friend's face full of concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said, shaking her head and trying to push her thoughts to the back of her mind. "Just, you know…" she waved her hand in a circle, trying to encompass the whole world in one gesture.

Kim shook her head. "Ella, I can honestly say I have no idea what this must be like for you. Now help me with this problem."

Ella was glad for the obvious attempt at distracting her and leaned over her friend's book and sighed. "Kim, how on earth did you get into this class when you can't do a simple log equation? That's like primary school stuff."

"I can do _that_," Kim moaned, "it's how it fits into the rest of the equation, I don't get."

"Okay, look at it like this…"

Ella generally didn't like helping Kim so much in class but today she threw herself into it, carefully explaining how to solve the equation and trying to see where her friend was going wrong, immersing herself in equations and numbers until she'd almost forgotten her earlier thoughts.

It was five minutes before the end-of-period bell that the tension in the class was finally broken. "_So_," Ethan Field said suddenly and loudly from behind their seats, making the whole class turn towards him, "is there some sort of rule forbidding us to talk about Ella's Dad now or something?"

"Is there a problem Mr Field?" Mr Astor asked, looking up from helping two students at the front of the class.

"Oh, come on, we should be allowed to talk about the fact that her Dad's Superman and she's some kind of half-alien freak or-"

"Mr Field!" Mr Astor snapped, looking angrier than Ella had ever seen him, "you do not use language like that in my classroom. Miss Kent is very brave coming back to school today after what's been happening to her family, especially given she was seriously injured last week."

"Oh, come on," Ethan laughed, "she was in hospital for like, what, a day? We're supposed to believe that was something serious? If you ask me-"

"No one did!" A sharp voice interrupted Ethan's words and everyone turned to see who it was.

Even Theo seemed surprised at his sudden outburst and for a moment it looked like he would back off as the whole class, including Mr Astor, turned to stare at him. Then his face turned from mild shock to hardened determination and he turned around to face Ethan, continuing before Mr Astor could call for order again.

"Don't you dare call Ella a freak again, you know damn well what her family's been going through and don't pretend like her Dad did anything wrong by trying to protect his family. Besides, he's saved all our asses at one time or another, stop being so ungrateful you jerk!"

Everyone was looking at the usually quiet boy in shock now, he still looked determined and wasn't backing down under Ethan's glare but his face was flushed and only Ella could hear his heart pounding in his chest.

The were a few more moments of silence then Kim spoke. "Yeah, Ethan, leave her alone, Superman's done so much for this planet- who cares if he wasn't born here?"

There was a murmur of agreement among several of the students but just as many were staring at Ella in a way that made her feel sick. Like she was no longer their classmate but a strange creature they'd never seen before.

"Detention." Mr Astor's voice cut sharply through the air and all attention returned to him, but Ella couldn't help glancing back towards a very frightened looking Theo as he slowly slid back into his chair. "Mr Field," he said, turning his eyes on Ethan, "Thursday, after school."

Ethan shot an angry look at Ella, as if it was all somehow her fault then turned back to the teacher. The muscles in his jaw twitched but even he didn't want to mess directly with a teacher, even the oldest one in the school.

The bell rang, the sudden, loud sound making the entire on-edge classroom jump as one and effectively dispelling the tension, most of the students started packing. "What about Gregg?" Ethan asked, still glaring at Mr Astor.

The elderly teacher turned towards Theo and shrugged. "Sorry, the bell's rung, he's not in my class anymore- nothing I can do," he explained with fake regret, even winking at the boy and smiling as he turned away.

Ella couldn't help smiling at that but it vanished as she heard Ethan hiss, "_Freak,_" as he left. She didn't know if he knew she'd hear but it didn't really matter. She sat for a few moments, waiting for everyone else to leave so she didn't have to talk to them about what had happened.

Even Kim was putting her books away a lot faster than usual which confused Ella until she muttered, "Meet you outside," and nodded to something behind her.

Ella turned to see Theo putting away his books so slowly one might have mistaken him for being older than Mr Astor.

The teacher had left quickly as well, but unless the school's timetable had changed while she'd been away he did have senior Stats on the other side of the school so she couldn't blame him. Soon it was just Theo and Ella.

Theo finished packing his books away and zipped up his bag. He stood awkwardly for a moment then glanced at Ella quickly, before returning to stare at his bag again.

"Thanks," Ella said after a moment, the word not seeming quite enough. She usually wasn't one to like being rescued by others but the feeling of having someone else stand up for you was a nice one. Especially over something as big as this. "That was really cool of you… defending me like that," she continued.

Theo didn't look at her right away and Ella was a tad concerned when her hearing got away from her again and she could hear his heart still going alarmingly fast. "That's alright," he replied finally, blushing slightly, "also… I just wanted to, you know, apologize for what happened in math last week," he stammered, sounding embarrassed. "Not because you got hurt or anything- but because I actually was being a bit of a jerk."

Ella was surprised but Theo seemed genuine in his apology. Maybe what Kim told her at the hospital did have an element of truth. "That's okay," she told him, "I kinda understand. I mean, I already know everything but I guess if I didn't I'd be interested. I… umm, might not poke them repeatedly with a pencil though."

"Yeah," Theo laughed nervously, "No…I'm pretty sure I could have done it in a more polite way." He smiled and Ella noticed that he wasn't actually that bad looking. There was another awkward silence for a few moments.

Ella started to say something to break it but Theo did at the exact same time. "You go," Ella suggested, when they both froze.

"Ummm, okay…" If it was possible he seemed even more nervous now, shuffling awkwardly and glancing around to make sure no one could hear. "I know you probably won't believe me but I was going to say this before… before Monday," he started. "Do you think… maybe… perhaps once things have calmed down for you… like, we could maybe… go out?"

Ella blinked at him, not sure what to say. Kim had warned her but it was still a bit of a surprise. "Ummm…"

"No, you know what," Theo said suddenly, "it's cool, I mean you have a lot on your plate and your Dad probably doesn't want you getting hurt any more although my Mom did say we could just go to our house or my parents own a restaurant so really, it would be kinda safe 'cause we could get a private table or even have a special sitting when it's closed but it's cool," he told her.

Ella blinked again, this time just rather stunned at the amount of words he'd managed to fit into one breath. She was also rather surprised that her first reaction was to say yes. She did like Theo, she didn't know him that well but now she kind of wanted to, especially after his chivalrous display riding to her rescue. Screw feminism, it really wasn't that bad, it was a rather nice feeling actually, maybe she got that from her Mom? However, his timing on asking her out wasn't exactly the best, she really wished he'd asked just a week earlier.

"I'm glad you're alright, and I hope no one like, tries to stab you again or anything," Theo stammered, "sorry." He turned to move away.

"Wait," Ella said suddenly, "I didn't say no." Theo turned back hopefully. "But… I can't say yes just now either."

"Okay, now I am a little confused," Theo said, frowning at her.

"Sorry," Ella apologised. "You might have noticed things are a bit stressed and crazy right now, for me and my family."

"Yeah, a bit."

"But maybe, if you wanna wait a bit. Once things calm down, maybe we could…go out."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll, umm, call you," he told her, smiling now and looking a lot more relaxed. "Uh, I've got French now, catch you later."

Ella couldn't help smiling at him as he left. It wasn't much, but it was something. Kim had been her friend for years. Theo didn't really know her like that but even though he knew she was part-alien he still wanted to go out with her, he knew she wasn't entirely human, he knew her father came from a different planet and he didn't care.

Well, she thought, her smile disappearing as she packed the rest of her stuff away, maybe he didn't think she was anything odd but it was clear some of her peers did think she was a freak. She half-hoped someone had said something similar to Dean, not that she wanted her brother hurt in any way but it might help him see her point.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Holy crap," Ella yelped, jumping almost a foot in the air as she whirled around to find her sister standing behind her. "Knock much?"

"It's a classroom," Lucy told her, "the door was open and Theodore Gregg just walked out after having a conversation with you during which his heart was pounding at a thousand miles an hour."

"For your information, he just asked me out," she told her sister, still shaken that someone had snuck up on her so easily. What if it had been another kryptonite wielding manic? She quickly pushed away her previous train of though, half-afraid her sister would be able to tell what it was about just by looking at her.

"You're not actually thinking of it are you?" Lucy asked, her voice implying she thought the idea was ridiculous.

"I don't know." Ella shrugged, her sister's tone making her feel a little defensive about it and not willing to outright admit she'd practically said yes already. "He's a nice enough guy."

"You're kidding right?" Lucy frowned at her.

"Why?" Ella asked, she had to admit after last week she wasn't to keen to go out in public without her Dad or maybe her older siblings but once everything calmed down maybe a date with someone like Theo would be nice.

"Hello?" Lucy asked in a high voice, raising her eyebrows and giving her a shocked look. "You become famous and suddenly he wants to go out with you?"

"He said he was thinking of asking me before," Ella replied, straightening up to her full height so she had one advantage over her twin, even if it was only half-an-inch.

"And you believed him?" Lucy asked in disbelief, not backing down.

"Well what were you just talking to Sasha for?" Ella asked, trying to turn the tables on her sister. "You guys made up? Did she figure she couldn't get any more money from the press without you so she'd better apologize?"

"What?" Lucy actually took a step back at the accusation, her mouth dropping open. "Ella- I've been friends with Sasha since I was _nine,_ you've known this guy for what, a week?"

"He's been in my class for four years," Ella replied, her grip on her books so tight she heard the spine crack on one of them, she hoped it wasn't a library book. "Look, Lucy, just go to Hollywood already or something, okay? Stay out of my life- unlike some people I know when to keep my mouth shut, if _anyone's_ responsible for all that information getting out it's you and your desperate-to-be-popular big mouth!"

Lucy stepped back again and just started at her sister, her expression unreadable. For the first time in her life Ella kind of wished they did have the fictional twin-powers everyone seemed to expect twins to have. She tried to see what her sister was thinking but Lucy wasn't just another teenager with a Hollywood fantasy, she truly was a good actress and her face revealed absolutely nothing about what she was thinking of Ella's accusations.

Any other day Ella would have apologised right away for her outburst, she hated it when she was fighting with anyone in her family. It made the atmosphere negative and unpleasant, even when she thought she was right she would often apologise to clear the air.

This time was different. This time she was sick and tired of Lucy and the way she was suddenly strutting around the school like she owned it, thinking her actions never had consequences.

Well, Ella had been in hospital, she had almost _died._ And that may have been a fluke but now information was appearing in the media that would make it easier for it to happen again, to any member of the family. Their parents were probably working damage-control right now but it was too late for a lot of things, things Ella knew Lucy had told almost everyone on the first day after the secret was out. Yes, she had agreed to go out with Theo, but she was smart enough to know what questions not to answer and what information not to give up.

"You just don't think do you?" she asked, finally breaking the silence, feeling an odd sense of satisfaction when Lucy's mask slipped for a moment and her confusion and hurt showed through.

She didn't stay to see anything else.

* * *

"You're giving me my own story?" Clark frowned at Perry.

"It's not like it's the first time," the older man reminded him, "and this time it'll be fantastic for sales because everyone else knows too."

"Well," Clark sighed, looking uneasy about the prospect of going out again, "I do want to know what those people were doing with loaded rocket launchers."

"I think we all do," Lois agreed, "we've been trying to avoid the news but from what I can gather the police are keeping tight-lipped over the whole thing."

"If they're going to talk to anyone it's you," Perry told Clark, "even if they don't want it out just yet, we can get the info and scoop everyone else when the time comes."

"Okay," Clark replied distractedly, accepting the assignment. Lois fought to keep her face blank as she watched her husband's eyes unfocus for a moment and his attention leave as he checked on the kids for the fifth time that minute. "Yeah," he sighed, coming back to the building, his actions unmissed by his boss as well, "I'll go talk to Henderson, I'll see if I can get anything more on those arsonists as well."

"Take the window, if you want," Perry suggested, tapping the pre-air conditioning windows of his office that still opened outwards. "Every time you go into the bullpen I lose work because they act like they've never seen you before."

Clark forced a smile. "Sorry, Chief," he apologized, "I'll have to work on another disguise," he joked weakly.

"You think that was a good idea?" Perry asked, turning back to Lois, once he was certain Clark had left.

Lois nodded. "He needs to do something other than sit at home and worry. We've already sent the kids to school and told them we should be trying to get back to normal, why not us too?"

"What about you?" Perry leaned back and looked at her with concern. "How are you holding up?"

Lois shrugged. "I'm dealing," she said.

"Lois," Perry sighed.

"You sound like my mother," Lois told him, folding her arms defensively.

"Yeah, well, your mother's not here to ask you these things anymore," Perry told her bluntly, "you may think you're good, Lane, and you are, but you know you still have nothing on me, I'm going to make you talk, whether we go the easy way or the hard way."

Lois could hear the genuine note of concern in the old man's voice and she had no doubt he'd carry through on his promise as well. He was like her father in that, they both had strange ways of showing they cared.

"I don't know, Chief," she admitted finally. "How do you think I'm holding up? Everyone thinks I'm a liar because I never told anyone my husband was also a superhero, my daughter was put in hospital and almost killed but I still sent her back to school today because I still have a desperate belief that they could all still have a normal life, my son just got engaged but now his future father-in-law thinks he's a monster and my husband's on the verge on a mental breakdown and all I can think to do is drag him back to work and hope like hell the criminals of the world restrain themselves for just one day so we can start to get our heads above water."

She got up and started pacing as she continued. "We're going to have to move of course, and god knows what looking for a new apartment _now_ is going to be like. Jason Sophie and Dean have basically been forced to follow in Superman's footsteps, we used to tell them it was their choice but what do you think people would do to them if they refused to use their abilities to save lives? For that matter, now Lucy, Ella and Chris' futures are laid out and they're not even finished with school, Chris is only _seven _for god's sake!"

She took another breath, Perry watching calmly from behind his desk. "And it's not just everyone else either. Lucy thinks this whole thing is her ticket to Hollywood, she doesn't seem to understand she just can't right now, _something_ is up with Ella but I don't know what and I can't ask her straight out because I know that won't get me anywhere. Chris has been having nightmares every night and has yet to disobey anything I've said since Monday…" She tried to continue but found herself unable to express the rest of her feelings in words.

"In short, Perry?" she asked, her voice cracking as she all but fell back into the seat, "All Clark ever wanted to do was protect his family and now our lives have been turned upside down and half the criminal world wants to _kill_ our children. I feel utterly helpless but I can't act that way because everyone else needs me to be strong. How the hell do you _think_ I'm holding up, Chief?"

Perry waited for her to calm down, not saying a word as she closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing, counting to ten like Clark had taught her to do.

"A bit better after getting that out," he replied finally and Lois hated that he was right.

"Only a bit," she relented, which was the truth, it had certainly helped somewhat but Lois wasn't sure, with the current state of her world, she'd ever be unstressed again.

"I saw Superman on the news this morning at that car accident," Perry said after Lois had calmed down. "The emergency services seemed to support him. Even the _Planet _couldn't get them to talk about him or what he said."

"That's one good thing," Lois admitted, "that some people haven't forgotten everything he's actually done as Superman."

"Yeah," Perry agreed, "and it's good the people he worked with in one job are still happy with him at least, the journalists of the world haven't exactly embraced him."

"They feel embarrassed for being fooled," Lois sighed, "especially given he's one of them." At least those feelings she understood completely. Her anger and embarrassment at finding out Clark's true identity was hard to forget, even after so long.

"Not just embarrassed, cheated. I got a call from the Pulitzer committee yesterday."

"They want to take his award," Lois said dully, nodding, not really surprised by the news.

"Can you blame them?" Perry asked, "You and I both know Clark is a damned good journalist and deserves every award he's been given but all they can see right now is how much of an advantage he had over everyone else."

"What does the _Planet_ think?" Lois asked, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. "Do they want us to say that Intergang was brought down by Superman instead? Not Lois Lane and Clark Kent?"

Perry's face darkened and the frown lines on his face deepened. "If you're asking about the _Planet_ then the Pulitzer's the least of your worries. I sent Kent away partly because I wanted you to be the one to break this news, not me."

Lois was wise enough to know exactly where he was going with this but she asked anyway, hoping that it just might be one of the very few times she wasn't right. "What are you saying, Chief?"

"You know what news sells, Lois?" Perry asked, running his fingers through what little white hair he still had. "The type of news the _Inquisitor_'s running. Things people want to know about, not only what you're willing to tell them. Right now Clark Kent sells our papers just because he works for us but it's been a week and that won't last much longer. People are going to start going to where the real news is, the things they want to know about you and your family. It kills me to say this but the time might be fast approaching when the interest in news like this-" he tapped the _Inquisitor _on his desk "- is higher than the interest in where Superman has his day job."

"You can't fire him," Lois told Perry firmly.

The Editor shrugged. "It's not my decision, Lois," he said softly, "you know as well as I do that this business is brutal. The second you two get in the way of the stories that sell instead of providing them…" He sat down heavily in his chair. "Unless you're willing to just let the facts roll without protest-"

Lois interrupted him by merely raising an eyebrow.

Perry nodded. "Yeah, we both know that won't happen." He sighed, picking up the _Inquisitor _again. "I might be retiring for real soon if this is the type of stuff they want me to print. Maybe it'll get out anyway but I don't want any part in it."

Lois frowned, leaning forward to take the paper from the Chief. She had been so distracted by the conversation she hadn't properly seen the headlines yet. Hell, they'd been so busy trying to protect the kids and not get too tied up in all the rumours flying about that she hadn't seen any newspapers since Ella had been released from hospital.

The front page of the _Inquisitor _hit her like a kick in the stomach though.

_Only New Kryptonite Harmful To Kent Children _the headline proudly proclaimed, detailing what New Kryptonite was exactly and how it had already been used in lieu of the normal stuff to hurt her daughter.

"When did this happen?" she asked, looking up in shock.

"Just today," Perry replied, looking confused, "I thought you'd already seen it."

"No." Lois shook her head. "We've been trying to keep the papers out of the apartment to protect the kids. This means who ever Andy Summers was talking to is still in contact with my family. We didn't tell anyone that the normal kryptonite was harmless to the kids until Ella's attack and then I thought it was just the police and our friends. I need to take a closer look at Andy's cousins."

"Do you really think that's the best start?" Perry asked, the question surprising her.

"Where else?" she asked, "Obviously I need to talk to Andy again but if I can get to his source first we can stop them leaking anymore potentially harmful information."

"I was thinking about this over the weekend," Perry told her, "I was surprised he wanted to run that article about the kids powers and lack there-of but then again, I didn't hire Summers for his high moral values or his sparkling wit but I did hire him for his quick thinking and long list of trustworthy and valuable sources. We both know you don't keep sources by ratting them out to the first unhappy mother that comes along."

"You think what he told Erin about it being his cousin was a lie?" Lois asked, a sick feeling rising in her gut. Could she have been that stupid?

"I don't know." Perry shrugged. "Erin and him are friends but I still wouldn't put it past him to have prepared the story beforehand in case he was asked."

"I need to go talk to him," She told her Editor, not waiting for his response as she got up and strode out into the bullpen.

Andy's desk was empty but Erin Jones was sitting at her computer, typing rapidly and chewing on a pen.

Lois ignored the eyes that followed her to the desk and calmly took the pen out of Erin's mouth, causing the other woman to jump and whirl around in surprise.

"Lois?"

"Where is he?" Lois asked, nodding towards Andy's desk.

"He went out," Erin told her, not needing to ask why she wanted to know, "sometime this morning, I haven't seen him since."

"Was he responsible for this?" Lois asked, holding the _Inquisitor_ up.

Erin shrugged, looking frustrated. "I don't know, Lois!" More than a few people had stopped to watch them now. "Look, I don't like what he did- trying to sell stuff that could hurt you family to the tabloids, and so I haven't talked to him since. I'm sorry. If you want, when he gets back I'll make up and try and find out."

Lois was rather taken aback by the generous offer. Her confusion must have shown because Erin continued, "I know I was a little short with you before but-" she shrugged "- If Ella got hurt because of something Andy said, I'm more than willing to help you stop it happening again. I'm not a mother myself but you'd have to be completely heartless to think someone's a fair target just because of who their father is."

The general murmur of agreement gave Lois some hope, although from the looks on some faces she knew it would take a while before Clark himself was forgiven for making them look like blind idiots.

"Thank you," Lois replied.

A sharp knock on the glass of Perry's office made most of the bullpen jump back to work, the Chief scowling out at the like a disapproving parent. Lois could hardly blame them though; they were the one paper for whom this was more than just another news story. She couldn't blame Perry either- he still had a paper to get out.

"I have work to do," Erin said, turning back to her computer, "I'll do what I can to help you, but I'm not promising anything."

"Thank you," Lois said again. As she walked back to her desk she couldn't wondering if Mad-Dog Lane got blown away with Clark's secret too. It wasn't often she was asking other journalists for help and thanking them repeatedly to stay on their good side. She wasn't used to being on the other side of the news cycle. Sure she'd dealt with her fair share of press before, being Superman's official press agent tended to do that, but it was a whole new game now.

Her computer seemed to take forever to open and Lois was tempted to kick it several times but the IT department probably wouldn't be too happy to have to replace it- again.

The New Kryptonite story was the first thing that hit her when she opened up the _Inquisitor_'s website but she pushed down her anger and fear for her children, gritted her teeth and got to work, calling on all her experience and training to keep herself objective and not storm the offices of the _Inquisitor_ as she searched for any other information that seemed unusually well sourced, something only their friends would know.

It took time, and a lot of trawling through insignificant and readily available news, but after a while she had a list almost half a page long. Some of it was serious, like the kryptonite information and the list of the kids powers, and some of it not so much, like how Richard had come to visit Jason and they had made up, or how Jason referred to Eric White as his brother even though they shared no blood.

She took a moment to look over the list and didn't like what she saw. Jason seemed to come up a lot and she didn't know if it was just because he was the most interesting of her children news-wise, or because the person selling the information had better access to him.

A horrible thought occurred to her and she almost pushed it out of her mind but had to remind herself how much was at stake. Especially if Andy's 'cousin' really was just a red herring, she still couldn't believe she had underestimated him, Perry didn't hire idiots, people with questionable morals perhaps, but not idiots. She couldn't believe she'd fallen for his 'cousin who went to school with her children' story, no wonder he'd been so confident his source was safe. Perhaps Perry had hired one idiot after all.

And now… _I told her a year ago _Jason had said of his girlfriend turned fiancée. He just hadn't told them that. A year was a long time, and Jason could have told Evelyn a lot of information in that time. Had she said anything before it would have been obvious who it was but now… now she was free to hide amongst the huge amounts of news sources giving up all they knew about the Kents.

_No jumping to conclusions, Lane, _she warned herself before she could get too carried away. Evelyn was a nice girl and Jason was a good judge of character, they also lived in New York, of course in the internet age it was just as easy to contact a Metropolis paper than an NY one. But until all the evidence pointed to or completely away from someone she'd make no accusations nor rule anyone out.

"Call for you on line three, Lois," someone yelled above the hum of the bullpen.

Lois ignored them, everyone wanted to talk to her now, and the people she wanted to talk to had her new cell number.

"Lois, it's your neighbour, it's sounds important," the voice called again and Lois realised it was Erin. She decided to take it, the Taylors had been so apologetic over their initial reactions and she didn't think they'd bother her unless it was reasonably important.

"Got it," Lois called, sighing as she picked up her phone. She hoped it was the right choice, if it wasn't important she didn't have time to waste. "Hello?"

"Lois?" As soon as she heard the worry and urgency in Christina Taylor's voice she knew why Erin hadn't just fielded the call herself.

"Tina? What's wrong?" she asked, her heart hammering in her chest as she imagined what could be going on? Another attack? She knew Clark wouldn't be able to handle if the kids got hurt again. She certainly knew she couldn't, she was the one who'd convinced him they'd be okay at school.

"It's Clark," Christina answered, "he's gone, I don't know where, he was really upset."

"Wait, what happened?" Lois asked, half-relieved the kids were okay but now incredibly worried about her husband.

"He came here and I was talking to him about your window," Christina explained, "then I mentioned the _Inquisitor_ and he looked at it then…" she trailed off and Lois could almost hear her shrug. "He got really quiet and said… he said something about not being able to do it anymore and to tell you he was sorry."

"Then what?" Lois asked, putting on her jacket and punching in Clark's number on her cell phone.

"Then he left, he just said to tell you he was sorry but he couldn't do it anymore and he left."

* * *

Reviews are love!


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **Sorry for the lateness, my city was recently hit by a large earthquake and the clean-up and repairs to our house have taken a while. Thankfully, through a combinations of luck, timing, luck, building codes, luck, readiness and more luck, no one was killed and everyone I know was unhurt though several of my neighbour lost their houses and our house was damaged too. I've put some links on my profile page to the wiki entry on the quake and also to a post at ES.c with pictures of the damage to my house.

I have to apologise also, if this chapter seems strange, half was written pre-earthquake and half was written post-quake. As it was an incredibly stressful event I can't help be afraid my writing style changed slightly, in fact there were several things taken out of this chapter because I couldn't remember what had been happening. So I'm really sorry if it's noticeable, though my beta thinks it's post-worthy. Next chapter is entirely post-quake though, so it should be better.

I have also never gone to Harvard Law School and never been accused of cheating on any exam using x-ray vision so I must also ask for suspension of disbelief if I get something wrong in that respect- but I can imagine dealing with a situation like Sophie Kent's would be unique and therefore require a unique solution.

**Chapter Twenty-Four: **_**Never Again**_

* * *

"Andrew Summers?"

Andy barely glanced over his shoulder at whoever had spoken, continuing to check his e-mails on his phone and asking distractedly. "And what's it to you?"

"You work at the _Daily Planet _don't you?"

"Oh, _look_," he snapped, turning around, "I hardly worked with him, and _yes_, I do feel like and idiot, I was fooled by a pair of glasses, ha ha ha, now piss off," he said sharply, ignoring the fact that the smartly dressed man who'd spoken seemed wholly unaffected by his words.

"Oh, believe me, I know you're not an idiot," the man told him, looking understanding, "almost the whole world was fooled by those glasses. No, I just wanted to make you an offer."

Andy frowned. "An offer?"

"Let's sit down," the man said smoothly, smiling as he placed a hand on Andy's shoulder and directed them to a nearby café.

"I believe you're the one who's been providing the _Inquisitor_ with what I believe, is very accurate information on the Kent family?" The man asked, after paying for the drinks and choosing a table far in the corner.

Andy's head snapped up and all of a sudden he felt very uncomfortable. "Did Lois send you?" he asked, pushing his chair back ever so slightly so that if he needed to he could be up and away faster.

"Lois? Lois Lane Kent?" the man looked surprised but he could have just been a good actor. "No, not at all," he assured him.

"Long black and a large flat white?" the waitress chimed in cheerfully, blissfully unaware of the tone of the conversation between the two men.

"Thank you," the suited man opposite Andy replied, giving the girl a charming smile that made her cheeks flush ever so slightly. "Now, Mr. Summers, we are going to cut straight to the chase- you have access to information about the Kent family that could be of… a certain use to me and I would like to request exclusive access to it."

"What sort of use?" Andy asked warily, "I know-"

"I wish no harm upon the Kent family," the man interrupted him smoothly, he seemed truthful but the wording seemed odd to a trained journalist like Andy. It wasn't that no harm would happen to them, only that he didn't want it. That left plenty of loopholes.

"Really?" he asked sceptically. "Look, I may not like Clark for what he did, and I may hide it well, but I was sorry to hear his daughter got attacked and I don't really want them to get hurt. I just…" he frowned, "believe that the public has a right to know certain things," he finished carefully.

"Oh, Mr. Summers, please." The man shook his head. "Don't insult my intelligence. We're both sensible men here. The more you give the public, the greater danger the Kents are in, and really, I'm well aware that there is one thing that-" he pulled out a roll of notes from his pocket and, with his arm obscuring them from anyone else's view proceeded to punctuate each word by laying a hundred dollar note in front of him "-holds. Sway. Over. Us. All."

Five hundred dollars, a hundred more than the _Inquisitor _was paying… and if he didn't tell his cousin about the little increase- perhaps he could be keeping a bit more than 50% for himself.

"Before you become concerned," the man, whose name Andy still didn't know, told him in a reassuring tone, "I won't be placing the Kents in any danger from the public with the information you provide. In fact, I'll be protecting them, wouldn't you say?"

"I…" Andy started, but the sentence hadn't really been going anyway and he was trying to count how many more notes were in the roll the other man was holding.

"The conditions are these," the man continued, "I pay a sum of your choosing for each piece of information your cousin is able to provide, and no paper in Metropolis gets to see any of it before I say so. That way, if any information would put the Kents in danger, they'll be no way for your average thief, like the one who attacked dear Eleanor Kent, to get his hands on it and you still get to keep making money."

"My cousin?" Andy felt his heart quicken again, ignoring the very tempting deal being proposed for the moment, his mind overridden by fear for his family, this man was obviously dangerous. "How-"

"I had to make sure your source really did know one of the children," the man cut across him smoothly, "but I came to you because within the next month I will require several _specific_ pieces of information, and I do believe you'd be better suited to asking her to procure those than a complete stranger of the street, wouldn't you say?"

"What do you need specific pieces of information for?" Andy asked warily.

The man responded by placing a further fifteen bills on the table. Two thousand dollars. "A token of good faith," he explained, "for the information we've already got from your contribution to the _Inquisitor_." Andy picked it up and put it inside his jacket before anyone else saw.

"If we're going to be doing business," he said, "I should at least know your name."

"Call me Smith," the other man said, smiling. "Now, how much did you say you wanted for each piece of information?" he asked, pulling out another roll of hundreds.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home," Sophie called, stepping though the window of her apartment and joining Dani in the living room.

She didn't seem startled, which somewhat impressed her. Instead she just turned around and raised an eyebrow at her roommate who'd just dropped from the sky in black leggings, old green combat boots, red skirt and a blue T-shirt with the symbol for the House of El on it.

"You look like a twelve year old cosplaying as your Dad," Dani informed her, before returning to whatever it was she was doing at her laptop.

Sophie laughed. "This is how I used to imagine my super-suit would look like when I was twelve," she admitted, "I lost the red towel I'd tie around my neck though. Until I find something proper that doesn't rip every time I break the sound barrier, this will have to do."

Dani laughed, "Towel or no, you can't meet the Dean like that."

"I wasn't going to," Sophie assured her, rolling her eyes, going into her room and coming out a second later dressed far more sharply and appropriately. She quickly put her hair up and scanned the apartment to locate her shoes, finding them under the sofa. "Besides," she added, "once I graduate, there's no way anyone will take me seriously as a lawyer if I fly around like this."

"Oh, and speaking of you needing a proper superhero outfit- I might have something, well someone, who could help," Dani told her, not even blinking as Sophie lifted up the sofa with one hand and slipped on the heels.

"You do?"

"Remember my cousin, Wolfgang?"

Sophie raised an eyebrow, "How could I forget?"

"That name's not as funny in Germany," Dani told her, attempting to frown disapprovingly but not quite managing it. "And he called me last night, turns out the lab he works in is in the process of developing some type of super-strong fabric or something. Lightweight, flame resistant and practically bullet-proof- not that you need it- but at least it wouldn't rip."

Sophie straightened up slowly. "You know, that does sound interesting. What's the catch?"

"Field testing," Dani told her simply. "They can run all the lab tests the want but until they have someone actually using it in real situations there's never absolute certainty about what it can and can't do."

"So: marketing," Sophie summarised for her. There was always a catch.

"You won't be wearing a logo or anything," her friend assured her, "but they will probably want people to know it was their lab that made it."

Sophie frowned, adjusting her hair in the mirror. She'd have to ask her Dad how he managed to keep his so perfect looking after super-sonic flights. "I just don't think we're ready to jump into endorsement deals right now."

"It's not really endorsement," Dani tried to assure her, "maybe I put it wrong. Look, you need some sort of superhero suit if you're going to keep doing this… hero-y stuff," she said, waving her hand at the muted TV, showing pictures of Jason lifting up the wall of a collapsed building to help a man out of the rubble. "It's going to get very expensive otherwise."

Sophie couldn't argue there, she'd lost two perfectly good jackets in the past week and three pairs of shoes, until she'd stumbled across the old, but surprisingly durable combat boots her Grandpa Lane had given her before his death, those she might keep flying in. "I don't know," she said again, "we haven't really talked about this kinda of stuff yet."

"I spoke to him for like five minutes," Dani said, "so maybe I did get a bit of the wrong idea. Besides, Jason does tons of endorsements," she added as an afterthought.

"No, Jason Kent, TV star and host of _BreakOut_ does endorsements," Sophie corrected her, "Jason Kent, son of Superman doesn't."

"He does now that they're the same person," Dani informed her, a tad more sharply than her usual tone before shrugging. "You know, we're either going to have to move or get another roommate," she said, changing the subject, seemingly accepting that although her last statement was very, uncomfortably true, the matter was better left for another time, "Natalie may have been a lying, stealing whore whose first instinct when something happens to a friend is to see how she can get money out of it, but," she sighed, doing up her own hair, "she did pay a third of the rent and I can't afford half a week anymore."

"I thought dear old Uncle Hans would take care of that," Sophie teased lightly, trying to dispel some of the seriousness and her nerves about the impending discussions regarding her future.

"I wish," Dani sighed, pouting, "but apparently just because _he_ worked his own way out of nothing to become a multi-freaking-millionaire bank owner he thinks I need experience at paying my own way for a while."

"Well, it does build character."

"Shut up little Miss scholarship," Dani grumbled, "but anyway I say we move. I'm getting sick of random calls from TV stations and people we haven't seen for years just deciding to drop by."

"Sounds like the best idea," Sophie agreed, "but I'd like to get this over and done with before we start stressing about that."

"Are we going to talk about Natalie at all though?" Dani asked. "I thought you liked her and now she went and kinda stabbed you in the back."

Sophie frowned. "I don't know…" she admitted, "I liked Natalie well enough but you know how you and I just clicked?" She shrugged, "it wasn't like that with Nat at all."

"That's not an answer," Dani told her, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, what are you, the police?" Sophie asked exasperatedly. "I don't know," she repeated, "yeah, I guess I feel kinda hurt that her first instinct was to sell me out but… there's too much else to think about right now, okay?"

"This doesn't mean we're not talking about it at some point though," Dani warned her, picking up her bag.

"Since when were you the 'let's talk about our feelings' girl?" Sophie asked.

"Since my best friend needed it," Dani said firmly, locking the door behind them.

Luckily the weather was grey and drizzly as they walked to the Dean's office so anyone they did encounter didn't look up and the one person Sophie thought had recognised her decided no the brave the cold for longer than necessary to stop and chat.

The walked in comfortable silence until they arrived at the Dean's office. "Want me to come in?" Dani asked, once again surprising Sophie with her uncharacteristically open kindness. Dani was a nice person but she usually tried to hide it.

"I think I'm okay," Sophie told her, "I can call you when we're done."

"Don't be stupid," Dani sighed, rolling her eyes, "of course I'll wait for you. Harvard's hard enough without losing my best friend. Tell the Dean if you're going I am too."

"I'm sure that'll make a difference," Sophie muttered sarcastically, just loud enough for Dani to hear as she knocked on the Dean's door and entered.

"Miss Kent," Dean Chambers greeted her with a smile. "Right on time, please sit down."

"Thank you," Sophie said politely, nervously taking a seat opposite him.

"How is your sister?" he asked sincerely, "Miss Green informed me she was recovering?"

"Yes," Sophie confirmed, "she's getting better, back to school today in fact."

"Good, good." He nodded. "Now let's just jump right in, shall we? Of course you know why you're here."

"Yes," she replied, "and I believe I'm entitled to know what evidence you have against me?" Sophie asked, taking his advice and heading straight to the point.

"Of course," the Dean replied, pulling some photocopies of past exam papers from the folder. "These were marked by the same person and flagged as possible cheating at the time."

"At the time?" Sophie asked recognising the paper as one she's sat almost a year ago. An A+ one too, she'd been proud of that. "I've never heard about an allegation before."

"No," Dean Chambers agreed. "The answer to your essay question and the answer to the same question on the paper of the student sitting in front of you were _very _similar, but it was also very similar to the textbook. It was put down to you both using the same book."

"It was," Sophie told him, recognising the handwriting on the other paper, even though the name was blacked out. "That's Tim's paper, we're in the same study group." She frowned as she looked up. "Why is us using the same textbook suddenly a problem now?"

She didn't miss the Dean's heartbeat increasing slightly or the way he shifted uncomfortably in his chair and a disapproving frown creased his forehead. "Officially the complaint has been renewed because we're now aware of previously unknown evidence- namely that you _did _have the means to cheat."

The daughter of Lois Lane couldn't miss something that glaring. "Officially?"

"_Unofficially_," he continued, "a lot of important people have heard about this and are making a fuss and while none of them have any…" he frowned, "_direct _influence, they are putting pressure on those that do. We want to show them that you are here because of your intelligence and abilities as a trainee lawyer, not the abilities you have because you are Superman's daughter."

Sophie nodded, it didn't make it any less annoying that people thought she was a cheater but she was feeling better now she knew the school was on her side. "I can't prove conclusively I didn't cheat," she admitted after a moment, "but I can prove I didn't need to. If I eliminate motive that's one less thing they have against me."

"That's what we've been thinking too," Dean Chambers told her, "your situation is quite unique so it calls for a unique resolution. If you're willing to resit a test in a controlled environment composed of random questions taken from the subjects you have already studied then we should be able to clear your name to most people's satisfaction. There are some people it will never be enough for but you'll hardly be the first person in the world who's enrolment here is a source of debate."

"So, what kind of controlled environment and how soon can I do this?" Sophie asked. She was confident in her abilities but she knew she wouldn't be completely relaxed until her name was cleared.

"Within the next month," the Dean promised her, "we have access to a completely soundproof room developed by someone at MIT, they've agreed to let you use it for a few hours. Probably one of the more unusual uses for it but it seems who ever decides these things is a fan of your father."

"When can you let me know?" Sophie asked.

"We'll definitely let you know by the end of the week," the Dean assured her. He opened his mouth again, as if he was going to say something more but then just nodded.

Sophie looked at him and raised her eyebrows questioningly, it was her future at stake, she didn't like that he might be keeping something from her. "Is there a problem?"

"No," the Dean said a bit too quickly then he sighed and shook his head. "It's not a problem," he assured her, "we were hoping to allow you to resit today but the lab's had a few issues over the weekend and they're not letting people in for a few days. They wouldn't tell me what but they insist everything will be okay."

"Okay," Sophie nodded again, feeling slightly nervous now she knew exactly what was going on. Normal pre-exam nerves, she told herself.

"In the meantime," the Dean continued, "I'd recommend attending your usual classes and completing all work. That way, when this is all behind us, you won't be behind in your work."

"So?" Dani asked, jumping up as soon as Sophie exited the office.

"It's pretty much what you guessed," Sophie told her, "some geniuses over at MIT have what they claim is a_ completely _soundproof room and they're going to let me retake some tests in it to prove I'm not a cheater."

"That's brilliant, and why does MIT need a random soundproof room?"

"I duuno." Sophie shrugged, checking her phone and relived to see there we no messages. "They're MIT, for science?"

Dani nodded slowly, picking up her bag and leading the way out of the building. "I guess, they must love your Dad though, remember that time the whole place almost burned down? Your Dad saved them so much rebuilding."

"No," Sophie said, frowning as she searched her memory. It made sense though, she doubted just anyone could book a special soundproof room to do a test in.

"It was, like, fifteen years ago or something," Dani continued.

"When I was six?"

"Yeah," Dani laughed, "I suppose you wouldn't- my cousin told me about it. Sooo, wanna go get some coffee? Or are you going to study?"

Sophie considered for a moment. She didn't quite feel like going to their usual café and facing a whole lot of people who now knew who she was, but on the other hand she still felt too nervous to study properly and she wasn't sure how she felt about getting special treatment.

So she was accused of cheating using her abilities because some people had a grudge against her father then, because of who her father was and what he'd done she was given access to super-high-tech secret soundproof rooms to re-sit her exams. It was like the world couldn't make up their mind whether being Superman's daughter was a good thing or not.

"Coffee," she decided, before she got lost in her thoughts, she was confident about re-sitting her exams and she had time to study and refresh her mind tomorrow, "but let's go somewhere else."

"Okay," Dani said, checking her watch, "we haven't got class for another hour, where do you want to go?"

Sophie thought for a moment then smiled. "You know, I know this great little place in Paris…"

"No way." Dani's mouth dropped open and Sophie heard her heart rate spike with excitement, "Really?"

"I did promise," Sophie reminded her, holding out her hand, "come on, and hold tight."

* * *

"Clark Kent, _Daily Planet_. Can I have a few moments of your time?"

Commissioner Henderson looked up from his notes to see a familiar, yet unexpected, press badge being held up in front of his nose. He couldn't help raising his eyebrows as he focused his vision on the man holding it. "Are you serious?"

Clark shrugged, putting the badge back in his pocket and sitting down. "The _Planet_'s still paying me so I guess I'm still supposed to work and there really is only one story right now isn't there?"

"So you're working on your own story?" Henderson asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.

Clark smiled and shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time," he reminded his old friend, his hand going to his face but stopping and falling away again before it got there.

"Still getting used to not wearing them?" Henderson asked, unable to smile as he thought of the other consequences that had arisen from Clark's secret being revealed.

"Yeah," Clark replied, sighing deeply and slumping slightly in his chair. "I kinda feel naked without them."

"I know what you mean," Henderson said, nodding. Clark gave him a strange look. "Just about the glasses," he explained, "I remember the first few weeks after I got my eyes done a few years back. Strange getting used to he absence of something that's been with you for so long."

"Yeah," Clark agreed, "it's weird not seeing the frames now when I'm not… you know," he finished, shrugging as if unsure how he was supposed to refer to his activities as Superman now everyone knew they were one in the same.

"Very true, I won't even pretend to understand what the rest of it's been like though."

Clark shook his head. "I… It's been hard on the whole family," he said, instead of looking at his own feelings. He couldn't afford to bring them to the surface now.

"I'll say," Henderson agreed, "your older lot seem to be making the most of it. Spent a while on the phone last night talking to New York on how to actually deal with a bank robbery that's prevented by a flying man who can catch bullets."

"I've dealt with the police in New York before," Clark said, frowning, "I assume my son would fall under the same rules my action as Superman do- or did," he added, wondering if the fact Superman was really Clark Kent would change anything.

"Yeah, I'd think so too," the Commissioner agreed, "but apparently there's a legal nightmare on the horizon if we don't deal with it properly now."

"You should talk to my daughter, Sophie," Clark suggested, "she'd love going through the legal intricacies of this situation with you."

"I'll give her a call the next time I get a spare moment," Henderson muttered, somewhat sarcastically as his phone buzzed for the eighth time in ten seconds. "Let me tell you though, your boy in Oz is keeping his head down nicely, although, suppose it's easier without a job or college every day," he added.

Clark frowned. "Dean had a full-time job all last year- he saved for that trip and he's just taking some time off before heading to college," he explained, perhaps more sharply than he meant to.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that," Henderson sighed, holding up his hands, "don't get all defensive, I meant it's _nice_. I told you Cambridge PD's been calling me all day and the NYPD was pestering us all weekend. For some reason they think we're the experts on how to handle this situation when really," he sighed again, heavier this time, "I'm just as stressed and confused as they are."

"Sorry," Clark apologised, wincing at his friend's tone, "people just tend to judge Dean by Jason and Sophie and now that they're front page news…" he trailed off, shrugging when he could find the words to finish the sentence.

He just didn't know how to complete it properly. There were really no words to describe how he felt about what the media had been saying about his children. It wasn't anger, it was almost beyond that, he knew how to react when his children were physically hurt, every father did. When people started attacking their character though, their intelligence and their reputations- he didn't know what to do.

Everyone, Lois, Richard, Jimmy, the kids, even Perry when he'd visited on Saturday, had told him not to pay attention to it, that no one who mattered cared, to ignore it and just focus on spending time with his family and helping Ella recover.

He really should have listened but he couldn't help himself, the _Planet_ was the only paper that hadn't had something unfavourable to say about his second eldest son. In a way he couldn't blame them, even Dean had told him he didn't care on Sunday, that they hadn't meet him so they were just going on what they knew.

His older brother and three sisters all attended one of the best high schools in the city, Jason had flown through college and was now a TV star, Sophie had a scholarship to a college in the Ivy League. Dean had gone to a public school, maintained an average grade and left a year early to work full time in a coffee shop and save for a world trip with his friends.

They didn't know _him_, they didn't know how good he was at drawing, or what a fantastic, caring brother he was to his younger siblings (and the older two for that matter), they didn't know he had a knack for languages or that most people who actually meet him thought he was far older because he was so mature.

And it wasn't just Dean, although the teenager seemed to be the most harshly judged so far, if any of the journalists who were reporting that Sophie was a cheater had known her like Clark did, they would know it was utter nonsense. They'd know how much she was like her mother. How determined she was, and how her mother's stubbornness would have made the even the idea of cheating ridiculous. How Sophie had to prove above all to _herself_ that she deserved and truly earned what she had.

"Clark?" Henderson called softly and Clark jumped, drawing his attention back to the office and away from his children's schools. So far they were doing fine but Clark knew better than to let his attention slip like it had when Chris called for him.

"Sorry," he apologised.

"Maybe you should take some more time off," Henderson suggested, before Clark could start talking again.

"I don't think that's a good idea-" Clark started.

"You are under a _hell_ of a lot of stress," Henderson cut him off, "I know the paramedics appreciated your help with that crash this morning but are you sure you don't need to take more time off?"

"I'm fine," Clark told him, waving away his concern.

The Commissioner wasn't buying it. "If any of my men had been through what you had they'd be on leave, from _all_ jobs they might have," he told Clark.

"They would have people to replace them," Clark replied.

"From the looks of it you do too," Henderson replied, "we do need to talk to them about how to limit our paperwork and avoid legal loopholes and such but the three of them can cover for the one of you-"

"That's not the point," Clark muttered, wondering when this conversation had become between friends rather than the Commissioner and a journalist.

Henderson looked confused for a moment but he wasn't Commissioner of Police for nothing. He sighed, "Look, just because everyone knows what you do in your off-time now, doesn't mean you don't have a right to _have_ off-time."

"Try telling that to my son's future father-in-law," Clark sighed, unable to stop the frustration and guilt he felt as he remembered the angry man on CNN who's brother he had apparently failed to save.

"That asshole?" Henderson asked, surprising Clark with his disgusted tone and harsh words. "Don't listen to him, and tell Jason not to either, I've seen his types before, coming in, blaming everyone else for something that was nobody's fault. Why don't we get this interview underway then?"

Clark briefly considered trying to make the Commissioner see his point of view but decided to take the change of subject as the offer it was. "Let's start with the reason I'm not wearing my glasses anymore," he decided, pulling out his notepad and wishing he had glasses to adjust. "Those men last Monday and the rockets or whatever it was they had. What were they and why did they have them?"

"To be honest, I can't tell you too much," Henderson explained, slipping just as easily as Clark into the familiar interview tone, "some government types showed up last Monday with all the paperwork and took them off our hands. Didn't answer any questions but told us to thank you for containing the situation."

"They didn't mention who the men were or how they go the weapons?"

"Nope," Henderson sighed, "not for lack of trying though, I've never seen anything like those. Fully-loaded ready to go rocket launchers? If you ask me it's something new and something the military wouldn't be keen to admit they'd had stolen."

"Illegal arms dealers?" Clark guessed, taking notes.

"That's what the smart money's on," Henderson agreed, "none of the men we arrested are talking but we guess it was supposed to be a quick in and out operation. They were obviously panicking after the fire, pity they didn't take the time to do psych tests though, could have avoided a lot of trouble with that revenge bent one."

"Yeah," Clark agreed with a sigh. If only things had been different, Clark Kent would have remained a name only known in journalistic circles, Sophie would still be securely enrolled at Harvard, Ella wouldn't have been in hospital and Chris wouldn't be scared of leaving the apartment.

"No point thinking of what could have happened though," Henderson told him, "what's done is done. You saved a lot of lives last Monday, these were serious weapons, we're lucky we didn't just end up with a crater in the ground."

"What about the arsonists from the _Inquisitor_?" Clark asked, moving on before he could start wondering if it had been worth it. Those kinds of thoughts never lead anywhere good.

"The _Inquisitor'_s denying all knowledge, the reporters were freelancers but all have written extensively for the _Inquisitor_ in the past. However we can't do anything to the paper, but the three who set the fire are looking at doing some hard time. Several residents were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation and if it wasn't for you and your kids there would have been deaths."

Clark nodded. "They did good didn't they?" he said quietly, smiling with pride as he remembered their insistence on helping and the speed with which the fire had been contained thanks to them.

"That they did," Henderson agreed, "I'm looking forward to working with them."

Clark asked a few more questions, and Henderson let him, thankfully not pushing the idea of taking more time off or trying to get him to discuss the events of last Monday again.

"I think that's all I need," he said, checking his notepad again.

"Do you want to talk to anyone else?" Henderson asked, as someone knocked on his office door. "I'm busy," he yelled, not taking his eyes off his friend.

"Sorry, sir, it's-" The young officer who's ignored Henderson's yell stopped suddenly when he saw Clark.

It took Clark less than a second to recognise the man, even though he'd only seen him briefly on the most stressful day of his life. It was the officer who'd arrested the brother of the masked man who'd fired the rocket and caused Clark to jump in front of it without changing and blow his secret.

"Oh, sorry, sir," he repeated, and this time it took Clark a moment to realise that 'sir' was directed at him.

"It's alright." He nodded a farewell to Commissioner Henderson, "I was just leaving."

"Uh, sir?" the young man said nervously, and Clark could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest. "I wanted to say thank you, for last week."

"It was nothing," Clark half-lied. The actual act of containing the explosion had been nothing to him, but the consequences weren't.

"No it wasn't," the officer insisted, "I mean, you had your kids to protect and you didn't have to help me but you did. I don't know if I would have."

"Nonsense," Henderson interrupted, "Officer Fields here is one of the finest officer on the force," he told Clark. "And you saw the power of that thing," he said, turning to Officer Fields, "it wasn't just your neck he was saving, don't feel special."

"Sorry about your daughter, sir," Officer Fields said, not looking away from Clark.

"It's okay," Clark assured him, "she's recovering. I'll see you later, officers," he said, ducking out of the office before anyone could start talking again.

Luckily he didn't encounter anyone else on the way out, exiting through the back and taking to the sky unnoticed. He didn't return straight to the _Planet_ to write the story up like he usually would, he headed back to the apartment instead, taking an indirect route over Lucy and Ella's school. He checked to make sure they were safe and made a mental note to ask who the strange boy making Ella laugh was, then over Chris's school before going home.

The tarpaulin over the shattered window Sophie had smashed though had come loose again and he moved to secure it. He knew he really should be getting it fixed, but it was the last thing on his mind right now.

It seemed such a mundane task, like the dishes that were piled up by the sink because no one had thought to do them since last week. Who thought of doing the dishes while their world was falling apart around them?

They should have kept Jimmy over for longer on Sunday, he thought with a small smile. Jimmy's response to stress was to clean like anything. Pity no one in their family had that trait, he thought, almost tripping over a toy truck outside Chris' room.

He picked it up and opened the door, placing it on top of the boy's toy chest and looked around the room, remembering last night when he'd rushed in to comfort his son after his nightmare. He could still hear the boy's terrified screams as he relived the moments surrounding the attack. It was strange but he almost physically _hurt_ for his son, no seven year old should have to know what that kind of fear was like.

When he thought about carrying Ella's unconscious body into the ER and trying to comfort Chris after his nightmares it was hard to keep to his non-violent morals and not go instil the same kind of fear in Mike Baker that the kryptonite wielding man had put in his children.

Thankfully a knock on the door pulled him form his thoughts and he nervously went to open it.

"Tina," he said, opening the door, and relieved it was his neighbour and not another resident. He hadn't seen anyone else from the building since last Monday but he had overheard bits and pieces of them talking. He supposed he should have x-rayed first to make sure it was someone he wanted to talk to but he'd spent so long trying to respect other's privacy it hadn't occurred to him. Another habit he'd have to break.

"I thought I heard someone in there," she said, smiling at him, "I was worried someone had broken in or something. I didn't expect to see you though. It's all over the news you were back at the _Planet._"

"I was," he told her, "for a bit- but I needed a break before going back."

"I get that. How _are_ you holding up?" she asked, giving him a familiar sympathetic head-tilt. Her tone was genuine though and Clark decided to answer honestly.

"I really don't know," he told her. "Half the world thinks I just did it to laugh at them, the other half still likes me but feels betrayed."

"Well neither of those halves are parents then," Tina stated, shaking her head. "I'll admit it took me a while but I'd do anything to protect Kathy and after what happened to Ella." She just shook her head again. "Obviously no one in the media has kids either," she added, glancing behind her through her open door to various newspapers spread out on the table. "They'll come around though," she assured him, "next time you or the kids save- Clark?"

_Only New Kryptonite Harmful To Kent Children_

He brushed past Tina to pick up the copy of the _Inquisitor _on the table. The article was frighteningly accurate, describing how the kryptonite grown on Earth by Lex Luthor almost two decades ago was the best bet for any criminals looking to get revenge on Superman through his family.

Didn't these people realise how much danger they were putting his kids in by printing this information? Even when the _Inquisitor _wasn't considered a good source of reliable news there would be people who wanted to hurt him who would see this and listen.

What had he been thinking sending the kids back to school? Telling them to try and get back to normal again. They would never have normal lives again. They were the children of an alien.

Because they were _his_.

"Clark?" Tina called, her voice sounding far away. "I'm sorry, I thought you'd seen it."

"I have to go," he told her suddenly, folding the newspaper. "Tell Lois I'm sorry."

"I don't…"

"I just- I can't do this anymore," he said, shaking his head, "tell Lois I'm sorry but I can't do this and…" he shook his head, backing out of the apartment as Tina just stared at him in confusion.

"I'm sorry," he said one last time before turning and running out the door. He sped to the roof and was in the air before his neighbour had registered he'd even moved.

He shot up as fast as he could, coming to a halt just above the clouds.

He was shaking. He tried to stop but his body wouldn't listen. Funny, such a human reaction to shock- he'd never really thought about it before, never really needed to.

Superman was an alien and free to act like one, but everyone knew his father had sent him to Earth because he was similar to them so when he acted human it was accepted too. Clark 'klutz' Kent was human and expected to act like one. And he, the real him, Clark Kent who didn't need to wear glasses… he'd never been either to those who knew him, he'd just always been Clark. Granted they knew he wasn't from Earth but he was their friend and they just expected him to be Clark. Now he didn't know who to be.

He did know one thing though: he was _stupid_. Just a big dumb, _stupid_ alien.

Trying to get the kids back to school so they could be normal again. What had he been thinking? They weren't just the Kents now, they were Superman's kids, their lives would never be normal again. _Ever._

What kind of a parent was he that less than a week after three of his children had been viciously attacked and his daughter almost killed, he'd insisted they go back to school? He'd promised his seven-year-old son he'd be fine.

He couldn't pretend anymore. He had to stop lying to himself and the kids. He had to make Lois see as well. They couldn't live the same lives they'd been living before. Things had to change, they were _going_ to change whether they liked it or not, Clark just had to make sure he stayed a step ahead.

The attack on Ella wasn't just a one-off, it was a warning shot fired over his head.

It was hard not to speed down and grab Lois and the kids, to fly them and hide them somewhere safe, somewhere no one who wanted to hurt Superman would ever find them.

Somewhere they'd be lonely and unhappy.

Could he do that? Sacrifice their happiness for their safety? There were plenty of places he could take them when no one else could go. A week ago the mere thought of something like this would have made him laugh but a week ago Ella had never been in hospital and Chris's nightmares were about threats that weren't real.

They would never go though, he reminded himself. Sure, camping trips in remote mountain cabins hardly anyone else could get to were fine, but living there would be too much.

He had to think, he had to really think this through, without the distractions of anyone else telling him it would all be okay. He didn't need any more lies, he needed quiet.

It was too _loud_ above the city, all the people down below, talking, moving, the cars, the trains, everything making some sort of noise.

There was nowhere he could land and be sure not to be disturbed. Nowhere he wanted to land at any rate. He needed peace, he needed quiet. He had to think but he couldn't leave the city. What if the kids needed him? The knife Ella had been stabbed with was hardly the only one around, the schools had tightened security but he couldn't take that chance.

Maybe he should get them out now, right now. They had said they would try and go on as normally as possible but he hadn't anticipated that papers like the _Inquisitor _would almost be encouraging criminals to take their revenge on Superman through his children. School wasn't safe. He'd have to take them out sooner or later, they could hire private tutors or maybe he could quit his job and home-school them. From overheard conversations in the bullpen he knew the _Planet_ hadn't yet decided on whether or not he was worth keeping on.

He heard Dean long before he arrived. Another life he'd ruined. For the last nine months almost every Sunday had been filled with stories from around the globe with his friends, now the trip he'd worked so hard towards was going to be cut short.

"Mrs Taylor called Mom," his son said by way of greeting as he arrived and hovered beside him.

"I need to think," Clark told him, not wanting to insult him by lying and trying to pretend it everything was alright. "Somewhere quiet."

"Okay," Dean said after a moment, nodding and not asking for any more information. "I'll look after things here."

Clark hated himself right then, _he_ was the father, he was supposed to be the one looking out for his son, he was supposed to be the strong one who would take over when Dean needed a break. But since Monday nothing had been as it should.

He turned and headed north.

* * *

Reviews are love!


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Sorry for the massive wait, among many other things I had Uni exams, crashed my car and served on a jury since I last posted, not to mention this was a big chapter and I wanted to get it right. Hope I succeeded.

**Chapter Twenty-Five: **_**Together In Solitude**_

* * *

"I think it's just a bit much," Jason sighed, adjusting his mic as he finished his sound check.

"It's just a Superman T-shirt." Tristan looked in the mirror and adjusted his hair for the fourth time in almost as many seconds. "And you're like New York's new Superman… except you're also the host of a kid's TV show so a lot less mysterious and undignified."

"And the red jacket?" Jason asked, choosing to ignore the rest of the comment.

"Take it up with the costume department if it bothers you that much- yeah, I'm hearing you loud and clear," he replied to the sound tech on the other end of his earpiece.

Two familiar voices caught Jason's attention then and he turned to see Richard and Eric coming down the hall, their backstage VIP passes clipped to their shirts.

Jason couldn't help smiling at the sight of them. For all his fear and worry over the past twenty years his father-turned-uncle had taken the news he'd helped raise a half-Kryptonian boy surprisingly well. His promise at the hospital that he loved Jason no matter what hadn't been an empty remark. Jason always loved it when he came to visit from Japan and especially when he bought Eric and the past weekend he'd need them more than ever and they'd been there.

"Jason," Richard returned the grin, "Tristan." He nodded politely to the other man who smiled back.

"He Uncle Richard, hey Eric," Jason replied, leaning down to greet his brother with a hug. "And- Tristan, you've meet my brother Eric, right?" Jason asked, introducing them.

"Sure, Jason's brother from another mother," Tristan joked, "up top." He held out his hand.

"Hey," Eric replied, returning the high-five.

"We meet at the Christmas thing," Tristan reminded Jason, "last year. And I've seen you at a lot of shows."

"I love _BreakOut_." Eric nodded. "I watch it every time I come to America. And Mom and Dad let me download in when I'm at home too sometimes."

"That sounds- sorry," Tristan broke off with a frown, putting his hand to his ear. "I gotta go sort out something on stage," he sighed. "I'll see you after the show though."

Eric waved as Tristan disappeared down the hall, passing someone Jason hadn't expected to see.

"You shouldn't be back here without a pass," Jason told his sister by way of greeting as she reached them.

"Sophie," Richard greeted his niece and goddaughter with a nod.

"Ah, Uncle Richard, just the person I wanted to see," Sophie said with relief clear in her voice, choosing to ignore her brother.

"Really?" Jason asked.

"What?" Sophie raised her eyebrows at her brother. "Am _I_ not allowed to talk to Uncle Richard? He doesn't belong to you, you know."

"No, I mean-" Jason shook his head, acutely aware his mic was on and the sound people could hear every word "-of course you are, I was just-"

"Aw, poor little Superboy," Sophie teased, pouting at him, "are you jealous not everything in New York is about you?"

Jason just sighed, letting Sophie goad him into acting like a little kid was tolerable in front of Evelyn and at home but despite the target audience of their show being tweenagers, _he_ was expected to act like a professional adult at work. Secret identity revelations or no. "Fine, I'll leave you two to it then," he conceded, "I've got to get out anyway. Enjoy the show." He nodded to his brother and Richard before turning to join Kate and Tristan on the stage.

He briefly considered eavesdropping on the conversation but years of his Dad's lectures on using his powers responsibly and respecting other's privacy were too deeply ingrained in his memory to let him do so without feeling like it was wrong.

And he did have other things to concentrate on. He just hoped Sophie's news wasn't anything bad.

* * *

Richard smiled as he watched Sophie tease her brother who was clearly annoyed but trying to remain professional. It was moments like this he wished Tomoko and he had had another child. Of course he knew Jason and Eric considered themselves brothers in every way that mattered but it would never be the same as what Jason had with his full siblings.

A few more days watching Lois and Clark deal with six of them should cure that urge though.

"Good luck," Eric called after his brother as Jason disappeared into the bright lights of TV land.

As soon as he was out of sight Sophie's face changed considerably from the light, joking expression she had worn for her brother. Richard felt his heart speed up. "What is it?" he asked, glancing at his son and back to Sophie.

Sophie frowned then smiled again. "Hey, Eric, can I talk to your Dad alone for a few moments? You won't miss the show, I promise."

The boy looked like he wanted to protest and Richard knew any other time he would have begged to be in the loop, but the past few days in America, watching his extended family struggle with their situation, he had come to understand things were more serious than just his Uncle Clark being able to fly. He nodded and walked over to lean against the wall further down the hall.

Sophie turned back to him, looking serious. "Dad's gone," she told him simply, "and I don't know when he'll be back."

* * *

She found him at the Fortress.

Dean hadn't taken much breaking down before he admitted to covering for his Dad while he went off to think, but he had insisted Clark wanted to be alone. Like any good mother though Lois knew exactly how to get her children to do what she wanted and it hadn't taken long at all before they were hurtling north.

Dean shot low over the icy landscape of the Arctic, holding his mother close but she barely had time to register the change in temperature before they passed through the entrance to the huge crystalline structure and set down just in front of the long silent control panel.

Lois had been so worried about her husband that she hadn't thought to put on warmer clothes but thankfully the Kryptonian crystals the Fortress was built of were designed to naturally absorb the sun's energy and release it slowly when the outside cooled down, no power needed, and inside it was rather pleasant. Temperature-wise at least.

"He's over there," Dean said quietly, pointing at a wall. "He's just… sitting." He turned back to look at her and Lois felt her heart clench at the helplessly confused look he gave her. "Mom?"

"It's okay," Lois reassured him, forcing a smile, wondering how bad Clark looked if he'd unsettled the one person who'd actually talked to him before he left. "I'll bring him back," she promised, standing on her toes so she could hug her son properly.

Dean nodded and, with a last glance into the Fortress, took off, leaving only a faint sonic boom in his wake. No doubt to resume his vigil over his younger siblings.

Lois rounded the corner and immediately saw what had Dean so worried. Clark wasn't just sitting, he was staring. His eyes were open and completely unblinkingly and blankly focused on a point far beyond the wall of the room. His legs hung over the edge of the platform and his hands were gripping the edge tightly, his whole body tense and the slight rise and fall of his chest the only sign he wasn't a statue.

Lois didn't say anything, she just sat down beside him and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder and linking her arms under his. He didn't move, didn't relax, his body as unmoving as steel and his eyes staring blankly at nothing.

"I wanted to be alone," he said finally, his voice tight but lacking any sort of confidence in his words.

"If you didn't want me to find you, you would have gone somewhere I couldn't follow," she told him, "I hear the Moon's lovely this time of year."

"It's quiet here."

"There's no sounds at all in space," Lois reminded him.

Clark sighed, he knew as well as she did he had wanted her to come and find him. He relaxed his shoulders and picked her up effortlessly and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as tightly as he dared.

Lois wrapped her arms around him as he lay his head on her chest and started to cry. It could have been an hour or it might had only been a few minutes but sitting with her husband in one of the most isolated places on Earth time didn't seem to have any value.

His sobbing and shuddering slowed eventually but he didn't release his grip on her and Lois didn't feel ready to let him go either.

"I shouldn't have come here," he said, finally breaking the silence, and raising his head, "I don't know what happened. One moment I was heading back to the _Planet_, then I went by the apartment and I saw that headline and…" He shook his head. "How could they print that?"

Lois shook her head. "I think the real question is, who would tell them something like that?"

Clark shuddered again and Lois pulled him closer, rubbing his back and hoping what worked on her children when they were upset would work on their father too.

She had vowed to stay with Clark for better or worse and this was definitely one of the 'worse' moments. She could count on two hands the number of time she'd seen him cry, taking away their children's births left only one hand, and one of those had been at the hospital at Ella's bedside, with no one but her around.

He didn't like showing emotion like this in front of the kids, he believed that he needed to be strong for them. Maybe it was true, Lois certainly remembered how unsettled and almost frightening it was to see her own father after he had received the phone call informing him of his mother's passing. Yet, when she had looked back it had been a relief too, to realise that her father was human and could feel as much as anyone else.

Lois knew none of their children thought their parents anywhere close to emotionless though. Jason and Sophie at least were old enough to remember all four of their grandparents passing, excluding Jonathan but they had been just as close to Ben. Sophie and Jason had even comforted Lois after she broke down when the call of her father's death came until Clark had come back from saving lives in Italy. They had been teenagers at the time and probably would have been far more disconcerted had Lois not displayed emotion at the news.

Still, Clark didn't want them to see him like this and Lois wasn't going to argue the point now. She had come to comfort him not pass judgement. As much as she knew and reminded him this was _their _secret, it was Clark who had been the one with the secret identity, as much as he and Lois shared every part of their life she knew that she would never truly know what it was like to be the one out there living two different lives and wasn't about to insult Clark by pretending.

"Sorry," Clark muttered, looking up again, "I got your top all wet."

Lois laughed, not too surprised to find her own voice thick with tears too. "I think it'll survive," she assured him.

"Sorry," he said again, but with a hint of a smile in his eyes this time.

"Hey, I'm free to be your cry-pillow or substitute teddy-bear any time, Smallville," Lois joked, though she did feel some relief when Clark loosened his grip and they rearranged themselves so they were sitting side by side, leaning against one of the crystal columns but still holding the other close.

"So what happened?"

Clark shook his head. "I just… I saw the article and I guess it all finally came down on me. How stupid and naïve I was being."

Lois could think of several replies to that but none of them would be helpful to Clark right now, though she filed several away for later. Instead she stayed silent and waited for him to go on.

"I wanted them to see we could still be normal so I sent them to school. Five days after my daughter almost died in my arms and I sent her and her brother and sister back to school without even thinking of what could happen."

"Clark they wanted to go back," she reminded him, "and all we did over the weekend was plan for that and try and make it as safe as possible."

"It wasn't enough," Clark insisted, "it's never going to be enough. I can't believe I thought things would 'calm down'," he laughed mirthlessly, "I never used to be this _stupid_."

"You're not stupid, Clark," Lois told him sharply, "and I sent them to school too, so don't think it's only your fault."

"I could have protected them better before this," Clark said, making Lois wonder if he was listening properly to her, "If we had moved out to Smallville when Ma died. There wouldn't be so many pictures out there. They could've had a normal life."

Lois kissed him though he didn't respond. "No, that wouldn't have worked either," she told him, "for starters they wouldn't have been happy, leaving their friends, their schools. Jason would have still been on TV everyday, Sophie still would have had it in her head to go off to Harvard. Dean would have still wanted to go off adventuring. Lucy would be off to Hollywood sooner or later, she's wanted to be an actress since she was seven, being famous is going to help, can't blame her at least for seeing the bright side."

"Chris is seven," Clark whispered, but the silence in the rest of the Fortress was so absolute he could have screamed the words. "I kept it a secret to give them a normal life, is he even going to _remember_ what that was like?"

"Maybe," Lois replied, trying to recall how much of her life she remembered when she was that young. "But I know he'll remember how much his Mom and Dad loved him and how his brothers and sisters supported him too. Things will change for him, he'll have a different childhood to his siblings but we can still give him a good one."

"And he'll remember watching his sister get stabbed and his Dad sending him back to school not a week later… I sent them all back, oh god, what was I thinking? I should have told them all to stay-"

"Clark," Lois interrupted firmly, "you did what you thought was best, and stop taking all the credit, I thought we should send them to school too."

"After Ella almost died?" Clark's voice was close to breaking and Lois felt out of her depth for the first time in years. "She wasn't just in hospital, she was _attacked_, Dean and Chris as well. Someone made a plan and set out to deliberately hurt _my_ children-"

"Our children," Lois corrected him.

"He was after Superman's children," Clark said, his voice more level but his eyes blank again. "Clark Kent and Lois Lane made their share of enemies but none hold a candle to how many Superman has. And even after we had proof people were going to try and hurt them I still sent them back to school. Where they're vulnerable."

"They wanted to go too," she reminded him, "being cooped up in the apartment was doing no one any good."

"It wasn't putting them in danger either," Clark said before frowning, "but it's still not safe. They're in just as much danger there as they were in that alley outside the parking garage."

"You know that's not entirely true," Lois reminded him, "Vaderworth Academy has always had a brilliant security program and Eastview Primary was more than willing to put in extra security measures."

"How long will that last anyway? They can't afford to hire all those guards forever. Maybe they'll be safe today, and tomorrow, but soon enough-"

"Do you really think anyone will object to extra security?" Lois asked, feeling a bit more confident in her ability to bring her husband back to himself. She was familiar with this format, using questions to the turn the tide of a conversation. She'd done it for thirty years and right now Clark was too distracted to combat it properly, if he wanted to at all. "Even parents who don't make enemies like we do are paranoid nowadays, few are going to object to paying a bit more for extra assurances their kids will be safe."

Clark was silent. Lois tried to read him but his face gave her nothing more than she had got before. He was afraid, terrified of what was happening and scared he wouldn't be able to keep his family safe anymore.

"Why did you leave?" Lois asked, trying to get him to open up more, "why did you come here instead of to see me?" She knew these were exceptional and completely new circumstances, but she wasn't going to lie and pretend it hurt that when Clark had needed her the most he had turned tail and run as far away as possible. Well, he hadn't gone to the moon but he's still gone far.

"I thought it would be better if I left," Clark began.

"Clark…" Lois felt her heart clench, he couldn't be serious. There was a time she wouldn't have even considered he'd do that to her, but… even after so long, the memories of the five years without him were painful to recall.

"I thought," Clark continued, "that maybe you'd be safer. That if people didn't think I cared about you anymore they'd leave you alone. Maybe."

"You can't leave," Lois told him, already knowing from the way he spoke he wasn't going to.

"I know," Clark agreed, "I'm too selfish. I thought about it and I realised I couldn't live never seeing the kids again, not being with you again, even if it puts you all in danger. How selfish is that?"

"That's not selfish, that's being a parent," Lois informed him, relaxing as she realised he didn't ever mean to leave her again. "And besides, if anyone's allowed to be selfish once in a while, it's you."

"When me being close to them could get them hurt or… worse?" he finished, unable to say out loud what the worst could be.

"Clark, you leaving wouldn't solve anything." Lois frowned as her leg suddenly cramped and shifted into a more comfortable position before she continued. "That won't stop them being your children."

"I know but… Ella…" he closed his eyes. "I can still feel her in my arms, not moving and her blood going through my shirt-" he broke off, placing a shaking hand to cover his eyes like he was trying to push the memory from his mind.

Lois knew how he felt. Seeing her baby girl lying in a hospital bed with an unearthly green pallor and only the very slight rise and fall of her chest indicating Sophie and Clark had arrived on time. It had felt like she had been stabbed herself, like someone had cut out a piece of her heart.

She had never anticipated that, when she had first become a parent. That the untold joy and love children bought could be match by the unimaginable pain and fear when she saw them hurt or in danger. That day, so long ago now, on Luthor's yacht, Lois had come to realise that, had Luthor allowed it, she would have traded her life in a heartbeat if it meant her son would be safe.

She had never thought she could love anything as much as she had loved Clark until she laid eyes on Jason for the first time. Then she had been utterly certain her heart was full. Of course Clark with his farm boy charm and maddening good looks had proved her wrong… five times over. Every child had proved her so wrong, whenever she thought she had no more room, her quiet fears when Clark wasn't looking that this child would be the one she couldn't love, all unfounded when she saw them for the first time.

"I wouldn't want to live without you," Clark said quietly, "any of you. I couldn't."

"I know," Lois said simply. "That is one thing I can understand completely."

"I don't know what to do though, how do I make this right?"

A gust of Arctic wind wailed in the silence that followed Clark's question. Lois was at a loss again. It wasn't something she liked, not being in control, but she loved Clark more so she desperately searched for a way to answer him.

"They only way I can think it could be different if I had changed it back then." Clark's voice was emotionless but Lois could hear the tightness keeping them in check. "If, I just hadn't jumped in front of that rocket and blown the secret."

"A lot of people would have died," Lois said slowly.

"Our children would be safe," Clark replied, in the same tightly emotionless tone.

"You wouldn't have done it," Lois told him, with complete certainty. "Clark, if you hadn't done everything you could have to save those people you wouldn't be the man I feel in love with," she said softly, "you wouldn't be the father our children look up to and a re so proud of. And, yes, I do wish there had been another way but if there was… you may be Superman but even you can't take all the time in the world to examine a situation, you did what you had to."

Clark didn't reply but Lois could tell by his face she'd said the right thing.

"I think…" she continued slowly, hoping it hadn't been a fluke, "That we made the mistake of thinking that because Ella's physical injuries healed so quickly then everyone else would too," she said quietly, "and she's trying to encourage that as well. Every time I've asked she's brushed me off. I don't want to push but…" she sighed, "I think I'm going to have to."

"She's been different," Clark agreed, "but they all have, especially after-"

"You know what I'm talking about," Lois interrupted him gently. "Even before the attack she was taking it hard. Harder than the others."

"We need to talk to her," Clark sighed, "we really need to talk to all of them. One at a time. Properly. No matter how hard it is."

Lois nodded then gave and exaggerated sigh. "That's going to take time." She tutted and shook her head. "I told you having _six _of them would be a problem."

She glanced at his face and was pleased to see the corners of his mouth twitch upwards, just ever so slightly. Even though it disappeared just as quickly, Lois knew that so long as there was still the possibility of a smile, of them being happy again, there was hope of working this all out.

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed. Lois nodded, leaning against her husband. He responded by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer.

"But they'll never have a normal life now," he said, "never."

Lois knew Clark liked to have her close but he was clinging to her like a security blanket and his body heat was quickly overcoming the Artic chill. She shifted gently and Clark seemed to understand what she wanted, he left her move a little further away but kept holding her hand which Lois didn't mind the least.

"You know," Lois mused, leaning back against the crystal column, "it's not like their life was normal to start with. Big family, both parents with dangerous jobs, and of course, the superpowers."

Her statement didn't draw the smile she'd hoped. Instead Clark's frown deepened. "They were only in danger from our articles," he told her and Lois knew his mind had gone back several years to the only other time someone had gotten the upper hand on them and almost shot Sophie and Dean over an article that put his father in prison. That had been an oppurtunistic criminal though, he'd come seeking the _Planet_'s Editor in Chief who just happened to be babysitting two of the children of the journalists who's authored the story. He'd decided they'd make better victims and Perry had taken a bullet protecting the kids and Superman had shown up to send the man to join his Dad. Clark hadn't slept for weeks afterwards but years had passed and they'd grown comfortable with the idea it was a one-time deal.

"Now they're in danger from everyone with a grudge against Superman," Lois finished his thought.

"So… what are we going to do?"

"I want to pull the kids out of school," Clark said, in a tone that seemed even he was surprised by the decision. "They're in too much danger."

"That's a big change," Lois commented, a bit surprised at how unsurprising such a suggestion was. She didn't disagree outright with the move though. As much extra security as the schools had invested in their children's safety, it might not be enough. It was slowly becoming clear that the loss of the Secret was only the beginning of the huge changes the family would have to endure.

"I'll resign from the _Planet_," Clark continued, his voice slow and unsure, as if he was only now daring to put these thoughts to words. Lois didn't say anything to that, it was strange to think a week ago such a comment would have made he laugh because it would have had to be a joke. A lot had changed in just a week though.

"I can home school them," he added, "and once we get a new place we can put in better security. I'll have to ask Jason, Sophie and Dean to help as well." He shook his head. "It's not their fault but I need them-"

"You know they're more than willing to help."

"They shouldn't have to!" Clark exclaimed, "We're their parents. We're supposed to be the ones worrying about things, we're supposed to be the ones taking care of them and helping them." He shook his head. "Not causing the problems and putting them in danger."

"Clark, they knew this could happen one day and if you don't know that every one of them happily lived with that risk in return for having you as a father then I don't know who's kids you've been raising but it wasn't ours." Another tiny lift around his mouth, it vanished quickly but Lois had seen it.

"They didn't have a choice," Clark muttered, a note of bitterness in his voice, and hint of a smile gone completely with that thought. "We made the choice to have children knowing full well what could happen if the secret ever came out."

"No one chooses their parents, Clark," Lois reminded him softly. "God knows I didn't choose mine, but you are such an incredible father it would have been a worse crime if you didn't have kids," she said, knowing from twenty-two years of seeing him raise their children that it was completely true. "And if everyone based their decisions to have children on what one day _might _happen to them, then the human race would have died off centuries ago. There's a history of breast cancer in the Troupe family but that didn't stop my sister having kids with the man she loved, did it?"

"I-" Clark began but a frown creased his features as something occurred, "your sister-"

"I got a hold of her," Lois assured him, recalling the four hours she'd spent calling people trying to track down the obscure African village her sister and husband were working in and contact her, "the phones are down but the organizers forwarded her my message, she replied last night, I don't think she believes me though, you may have to fly us over there sometime. She'll be perfectly fine there though, it's pretty remote, most people probably haven't even heard of Superman let alone Clark Kent."

Clark nodded slowly. "Maybe we should move out there then," he suggested, his tone mostly a feeble attempt at humour but holding a hint of seriousness, though Lois doubted he'd get much co-operation from the children on that idea.

They were silent for a long while, Lois wasn't sure what to say. She'd come to listen and convince him to come back and she hoped she had succeeded. Finally the silence became unbearable for her, though Clark didn't seem to mind.

"Have you decided what you're going to say tomorrow?" she asked, more for something to say than anything. She was curious though, they'd only just decided to hold a proper press conference and an interview one-on-one was one thing, especially with someone they knew, but this was an entirely different arena and she wanted to know if Clark had planned at all.

"You haven't said anything about that."

Lois raised her eyebrows at the unexpected reply. "I've said a lot of things." Though she thought she knew what he meant but she wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.

"Not about that. What do you really think I should do?"

"You need someone to listen. Not someone to have an opinion."

"You're Lois Lane, you always have an opinion," he replied, raising an eyebrow. "You know I love you so much for everything you've done in the past week but I know you, you want to tell me what you think I should do and I'm just saying you don't need to keep it to yourself."

"You really want to know what I think?" Lois asked, she had come here to be his rock and not to serve judgement. But he was right, she did have strong thoughts on the issue and after almost three decades together it wasn't just his secret anymore and she was no longer afraid to tell Clark her thoughts about it. "Are you sure?"

"I think I can handle it," Clark said, his mouth lifting at the corners again. Four almost-smiles, this was good. Maybe she could make it five later, but not with what she had to say now.

"If I were you, I'd tell them all to shove it," Lois said bluntly, "everyone who's whining on about how you hid it from them, how they as your adoring public had a right to know all your private business, I would tell them to piss off and that I owed them nothing at all. If I'd given as much of myself to them everyday as you have for the last thirty years, asking nothing in return, I wouldn't feel I owe them anything, they'd owe me," Lois could feel herself getting louder and angrier but she couldn't stop, all her frustration at the way the world was treating her husband rushing out in one go.

"You don't owe them anything, Clark," she told him, "not an explanation, not all the details of your private life or secret identity, what the hell did they expect? You to just slip it into an interview somewhere? Even now after Ella…" he voice caught slightly as she remembered the pain of seeing her daughter hurt, but she pressed on, "after they saw _solid_ evidence that people will use this information to hurt you they still persist, like the fact that you've given them so much entitles them to take everything. Well, it doesn't.

"Every Average Joe seems to think you should have told them over the cup of coffee they sold Clark Kent on the street five years ago. You didn't, these people don't deserve your apologies, you're the one that deserves theirs. You had their respect as Superman and you still deserve it- no, you deserve it even more now they know you're Clark Kent and know all you gave up every day to go save their sorry asses when they jump the barrier and almost have a glacier collapse on them.

"If I were you I'd show up tomorrow and demand they apologise to me, not the other way around."

He didn't reply, he didn't agree but to Lois' surprise and satisfaction he didn't immediately disagree.

"I want you to be _yourself_ tomorrow," Lois told him simply, pressing her advantage, "don't be Superman and don't be 'klutz' Kent, be Clark, be the Clark Kent who's journalism took down Intergang and who can hold his own in an interview with a criminal genius. Be the Clark Kent that our children know, be that Clark Kent Martha and Jonathan raised you to be."

"You make it sound so easy."

"You'd be surprised."

He didn't reply for a while and Lois winced as she started to cramp again. Clark could have chosen a more comfortable setting to flee to, she thought as she massaged her leg. Or at least moved to sit on the bed even.

She sighed with relief as her leg suddenly relaxed and warmth spread along the aching limb. Clark must have read her mind as he helped her up to sit on the edge of the bed as he used his heat vision to massage her other cramping muscles.

"I'm sorry," he apologised as Lois lay back on the comfortable bed, letting her husband take care of her for just a moment.

"It's okay," Lois tried to tell him but a yawn caught her off guard and she was surprised to find how drained she was. She had no idea how long she'd been talking with him but as soon as Clark had helped her move off the floor it seemed like a spell had been broken and now the toll of experiencing so many emotions in such a short time was really catching up.

The bed dipped beside her as Clark sat. "Do you want to go back now?" he asked.

"Do you?" Lois replied, opening her eyes and sitting up, thanking the cosmos for super powered husbands that could take care of sore muscles.

"I want to pick Chris and the girls up myself," he said, not giving a truly direct answer, "I don't want them to think I just left."

Lois couldn't help raising her eyebrows at that and Clark winced. "I know," he sighed, shaking his head. "I did just leave and I should have stayed but- I- I don't know-"

"It's okay," Lois assured him, feeling a little bad for her reaction. Clark was allowed to freak out every so often like anyone else, especially in such a stressful situation.

Clark nodded. "We'll tell them together what we're going to do," he said, getting up and stretching before helping Lois to her feet. She was surprised at how stiff she was, how long had she been sitting there?

"We'll _talk_ to them," Lois repeated. In truth, while Clark seemed sure, she still hadn't made up her mind. She wanted the kids safe as much as Clark but she didn't want them to be unhappy. She had an idea in mind that might help but Clark wouldn't like it if she told him now, she'd have to wait until she could speak to the kids about it. He still wouldn't like it but at least she'd have back-up.

Their lives were going to change, that much was inevitable, they already had. The kids were in danger now, from those who wanted to hurt her husband for trying to make the world a better place. But Lois was prepared to make as many sacrifices as she had to, to lessen the impact of this for their kids. As clear as it was to her that their children loved their parents, they hadn't chosen to put themselves in the position of prime targets for those who wanted to get back at Superman.

"Let's go home."

* * *

Evelyn Jones was trying to concentrate on her work but she was, rather understandably distracted. Not only did she have to deal with this whole… thing with Jason and his family but the client had suddenly changed his mind on her designs and she would now have to stay late to redraw several pages.

She decided to take a late lunch, she had planned to work through it but an hour after the usual time her stomach had rumbled so loud, Leah at the desk next to her had told her to eat or she'd call noise control.

Evelyn wasn't in the mood for a sit-down lunch. She wouldn't be able to relax anyway and she had other things that needed dealing. Sooner rather than later.

"You know," the taxi driver told her, as he pulled out into the traffic, "you look kinda familiar."

Evelyn felt her heart jump slightly but she had thought about what to do if this happened. She rolled her eyes, "Let me guess, Evelyn Jones?"

"Yeah! That girl who's dating Superman's kid," he cried, snapping his fingers before frowning. "You're not?"

"No," she lied, "but I've been getting that every five minutes since last Monday. You think I'd be taking a cab if my boyfriend could fly?"

The cabbie laughed. "No, fair enough." And they spent the rest of the ride listening to the radio speculate whether Eleanor Kent really had been as severely injured as reported as she had left the hospital pretty quickly.

She paid the driver and hurried into the building he'd taken her too before she lost her nerve.

She hesitated for a moment when she arrived at the apartment but gritted her teeth and knocked on the door before she turned and fled.

Her mother answered the door, which gave her a few more moments. "Evelyn!"

"Hey, Mom," Evelyn greeted her, smiling tightly.

"Your father's just in the study, do you want me to…"

"Have you talked to him about what he did?" Evelyn asked, looking towards her Dad's study. "I mean-"

"I know, but, please, Evie, you have to understand he did what he thought was best for you."

"By going on national TV do say something that should have been only between me and him. Or actually me and _Jason_," Evelyn snapped, trying not to raise her voice but finding it difficult.

"Lorene? Who are you talking to?" Evelyn felt her heart jump into her through as her father came out of the study, rubbing his eyes.

"Dad," she said shortly.

"Evelyn," he replied, sounding a lot happier to see her than she was to see him. Maybe her Mom had talked some sense into him…

"You need a place to stay? You shouldn't be living with Jason anymore, especially not if you're not together."

Then again, maybe not.

"I'm not leaving Jason, Dad," she said, her temper rising again. Maybe coming to see him wasn't a good idea, she'd thought she could keep her emotions in check but her control was already fraying.

"Evie, that boy is only going to hurt you. His father's bad enough but now-"

"Dad, I love Jason," Evelyn told him with absolute certainty. "He's not going to hurt me-"

"Where was he when my brother died then?" her father interrupted, his voice suddenly increasing in volume and Evelyn. "You know why I never liked Sup- his _father_, but don't you see now him and the other like him are worse?" It took Evelyn a moment to realise he was referring to Jason's siblings. "They could have saved thousands of lives, my brother's life, but instead they just went off to their cushy jobs on TV or riding through Harvard on a scholarship, not giving a damn that people were dying all around them, deaths they could prevent! People like that are not people who you want to trust, Evie."

Evelyn tried not to react to that. It was the exact same question she had asked Jason that morning and the question that still lingered at the back of her mind, but "They couldn't do it without putting their family in incredible danger," she reminded herself and her father, though her voice was a lot less certainty than before. "It took less than a _day_ for someone to track down some kryptonite and-"

"Oh, that?" her father snorted, "The kid wasn't even in hospital for two days and back at school in under a week, yet they all expect us to believe it was some kind of life threatening injury?"

"Dad…" Evelyn sighed, really wishing she hadn't come now.

"Your father does not agree with what happened to Jason's sister," he mother said sharply, glaring at her husband.

"Maybe I don't agree with someone attacking a _kid_," her Dad admitted, "but the ones over eighteen and Superman/Clark Kent are fair game if you ask me."

"Dad!" Evelyn couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're saying you'd be okay with someone attacking my fiancée?"

"He was not!" her mother snapped, "Henry, tell your daughter you don't want her boyfriend to be hurt."

"I didn't want my brother to be killed either!" he yelled back, jumping up. "Evelyn, I meant what I said at that TV station, he'd better back off, and if he doesn't-"

"You'll what?" Evelyn challenged her father. "C'mon, Dad, what will you do if Jason decides he doesn't want to 'back off'? Or if I don't want him too, are you just going to disown me?"

"Please, stop!" Her mother yelled, holding up her hands. "The both of you! Stop it!"

Evelyn could hear her heart hammering in her chest and hoped Jason had enough sense to stay away. He was probably filming right now but she wouldn't put it past him to come running to her side if he thought she was upset.

Her father still had a furious look on his face and now Evelyn wasn't yelling at him, her anger was starting to be replaced by a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her father had acted so incredibly rashly and out of character but even if he claimed he'd only done out of love for her she still had to deal with seeing the video on TV every five minutes.

Yet… only that morning she'd had the same thoughts. She'd never go so far as to believe what happened to Ella was deserved or wish any of the Kents harm but there was no denying Jason could have saved so many lives and hadn't. So could Sophie, and Dean.

It hadn't occurred to her at first but now, after a week of watching Jason save lives she had started wondering just how many people had died while he was sitting at home with her.

Were people falling to their deaths while they were eating dinner? Getting hit by bullets and bleeding out on bank floors while Jason curled up with her on the couch? Watching their homes burn to the ground when they were in bed together? How many lives had been lost all because of this secret? Because Evelyn, even when she knew what he could do, hadn't ever asked, hadn't thought about all the things her boyfriend could be doing instead of cooking her dinner.

"This was a mistake," Evelyn said finally, "I'm sorry I came, Dad, I thought you might have been willing to talk but I guess I was wrong."

"Evelyn," her mother called, running after her as she headed to the door.

Evelyn waited until they were it the hall then closed the door so her father couldn't hear. "What?" she asked, trying not to be angry at their mother but unable to be entirely calm after that.

"Please, if you let me talk to him now, will you come over for dinner tomorrow? Nina is coming but your brother can't make it, and you know your sister, she's as angry as you, I was hoping-"

"Hoping what Mom?" Evelyn asked, "that we could sit down and discuss this like the adults we are? Yeah I thought we could too, but apparently that's not possible. What has gotten into Dad?"

"He's just worried about you," her mother insisted. "Look at what happened to Jason's sister? Don't you think you might be in danger too, someone could hurt you to get to Jason."

"I know, Mom," Evelyn exclaimed, her frustration mounting again. "But it's my life, it's for me and Jason to decide how we deal with this, how we cope with all the new stuff coming. For better or worse, I agreed to that when I agreed to this." She held up her hand so the diamond on her finger caught the light.

"You haven't agreed yet," her mother reminded her. "Evie, I love you and nothing will ever, _ever _change that but... other things have changed and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Well I think Dad's already done that," Evelyn muttered glaring at the closed door.

"Evie-"

"Mom, I need to talk about this with Jason first okay?" Evelyn interrupted, not wanting to listen to any more excuses for her father's behaviour. "I just need more time, I thought we could get this out of the way but… I'll call okay?"

Her mother nodded. "Okay, I love you."

"Love you too, Mom," Evelyn sighed, before turning down the hall to the elevator, already deep in thought by the time she pressed the button.

She was calming down slightly but still unsettled. The worst part of the whole thing was she didn't entirely disagree with some of what her Dad had said. Jason could have saved so many lives yet… he hadn't.

She knew she needed to talk to Jason about this, about the hundred and thirty-two people he had saved in the past week and all the ones he could have saved in the weeks before. It wasn't for her and her parents to talk and wonder about behind his back. It was for Jason to explain to her face.

Then they'd decided what to do. For better or worse.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't much like most incarnations of Lois' sister Lucy so I made my own, in this 'verse her and her husband, Ron Troupe, are doctors currently volunteering in Africa. This will not be important to the plot before you get worried :P

Reviews are love!


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **Those of you who have visited my bio will know the reason this took so long but for those who don't, I apologise for the delay, but shortly before I was set to finish and post this chapter my city was hit by another major earthquake, this one in the middle of the day and killing 181 people and pretty much destroying our city centre. Thankfully my friends and family were alright though as you can imagine, it's taking a long time for things to get back to normal and fan fiction was not my priority. I won't make this AN too long by going into detail but there are some links on my profile page if you were interested in more info.

Like the first earthquake this chapter is half pre-quake and half post. Hopefully it doesn't show. It's also mostly talking, I'm looking to change that in future chapters :P

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**_** The People You Care For**_

* * *

_Eleanor Kal-El_

Ella ran her fingers over the carefully penned name on the front of the exercise book. It was in the Latin alphabet first, then repeated in Kryptonian script right underneath.

She used to love the way it sounded, it was so different to plain old Ella Kent, _Eleanor Kal-El_, the way it flowed off the tongue, all otherworldly and mysterious and special and… _alien_.

She pushed the thought out of her head and flipped it open to a random page. _The Legend of Rao_ was written across the top in her neat Kryptonian script, the story itself took up two pages, all in Kryptonian, her Dad's corrections, also in Kryptonian, written in red.

It had been a dictation exercise, she recalled, and she had done worse than she had hoped. If it had been in German she would have been horrified at so many mistakes. She could speak Kryptonian almost as well as English but her writing was still lacking.

But it had been her Dad who corrected it, and he never made her feel bad about getting something wrong. He was just so proud he was able to share his heritage, his legacy, with his own children. She knew that because he told them every single Thursday when they had their Kryptonian lessons.

She was almost glad they had missed it last week. If it was possible for her to feel any worse about what she had told Dean in the tree then that would do it.

Speaking of her brother… he was home, again. Which meant he'd probably try and talk to her at some point which she was not looking forward too. She had wanted to tell someone how she felt for so long but now that she had she was starting to regret it. Maybe she should tell him it had been a joke. An early April Fools.

Except it wasn't funny. And it wasn't a joke.

Luckily he hadn't got the chance to catch her alone yet, he had been in the apartment when Dad had flown them home and it hadn't taken long for Ella to realise something very important had happened while they had been at school but she had yet to find out exactly what. No one seemed like they were going to tell her, and aside from Mom telling them they were going to have a 'serious talk' that evening with everyone she hadn't a clue what was going on.

She had retreated to her room when her Dad had gone off to be Superman (or 'Mr. Kent' or whatever they were calling him now), her Mom had pulled Dean into her study and closed the door and Chris and Lucy had gone to their rooms too.

It was only when her watch beeped that she realised she had been sitting on her bed doing nothing but staring at the wall for almost an hour. Of course, there was really not much else she felt she could do right now.

The door to the study remained firmly shut and Ella resisted the urge to eavesdrop on whatever her Mom and Dean were discussing. Even if it might tell her what had happened with her Dad today she wasn't sure she wanted to hear.

A sudden thought entered her head and she froze with fear. But… no, Dean had promised he wouldn't tell their parents what she had told him. He couldn't be telling her Mom _that_, even if she hadn't made him swear she doubted he would want to hurt her that way. Ella didn't want to hurt her parents that way, one of the main reasons she had locked those feelings so tight and deep in the first place.

She shook her head in attempt to rid herself of the sick feeling in her stomach that came whenever she recalled Dean's reaction. She decided she might as well get changed, to distract her if nothing else.

She pulled at her hair-tie and winced as several strands became tangled and tugged at her before breaking. She sighed as she looked at the pieces of her hair still curled around the tie. Her Dad's hair never broke, it was just as invincible as the rest of him, something she got from her human side obviously.

She tried to fluff her hair out a bit but the kink the tie had left from being in a ponytail all day wouldn't straighten. It wasn't like she was going out again soon though, she reasoned, throwing her blazer of the chair, kicking off her clunky brown school shoes and quickly exchanging her shirt and pleated blue checked skirt for plain black track pants and a loose Metropolis Monarchs T-shirt.

She sat back on the bed and picked up the exercise book again. It was the ninth one she'd gone through with her Dad's lessons, the rest were in a box under her bed. The first one she had had been started when she was only five, it was mostly history and almost all of it was in English, which disappeared steadily with each book. The one she held now was entirely written in in Kryptonian, even the history and culture information was in the language of her father's birthplanet.

At school, Kim had tried to respect Ella's feelings about not wanting to talk but she had always been interested in languages, being bought up bilingual and learning two more at school. Finding out her best friend could speak a language from a completely different planet had proved irresistible to her and Ella had taken pity on her friend when they had bunked P.E. and allowed Kim to ask questions about Kryptonian.

After teaching Kim how to say "hello" then introduce herself she had pointedly changed the subject, but not before Kim made her promise to bring in her books from her Thursday lessons with her Dad. At least that was something she had finally been able to come clean to her friends about. That it wasn't just some weird coincidence she was never free on Thursdays, but that she had a truly good reason.

Today was Monday though, they'd had no plans last week, probably wouldn't have this week either, Mondays were pretty lax anyway, most days she spent at the apartment with Lucy and Chris. Sometimes she'd go to Kim's house to get some homework out of the way, or maybe to the mall for a few hours or so. Even that one memorable time they'd gone to James' house when his parents were away and played 'I've Never' with vodka stolen from his parents' liquor cabinet. She'd only managed to get a bit of a buzz going despite downing almost half a bottle but her mother had still been furious when she'd found out- courtesy of Kim's father. Ella had been grounded for a month, oddly only James had gotten off lightly, his parents deeming the intense hangover he'd had on Tuesday at school punishment enough.

"Penny for you thoughts?" the sound of her Dad's voice made her jump and she realised she had been getting lost in her thoughts again. Happening a lot lately.

"Just… thinking," she told him, with a shrug. Somehow she didn't think adding '-_about things I'll probably never be able to do again because I'm in danger all the time now that the world knows I'm Superman's _(your) _daughter. Thanks for putting me in life-threatening danger…'_ would do much good. Her hand unconsciously moved to the scar on her hip.

She watched her father's eyes follow her gesture and winced when she saw the pain in his eyes. "All good out there?" She asked, in an attempt to distract him, trying to force a smile to her face.

"It's a bit strange," her Dad replied, "thirty years of answering to 'Superman' when I've got my cape on and suddenly people are calling me things like Mr. Kent and Clark no matter what I'm wearing." He looked at the book in her hands and smiled.

"Just reading about the creation of Krypton," Ella told him, holding up the book to show him. "_'Rao was the first of us all, born into a world of cold and darkness.'_" She read the first sentence aloud in a dramatic tone and then raised her eyebrows at her Dad.

Clark smiled, "_You're getting so much better,_" he complimented her, also speaking in Kryptonian. "_We should resume lessons this week, if you feel up to it._"

"Dad, how many times to I have to tell you," she sighed switching back to English, "I'm fine."

"Sorry," he said, unconvincingly.

"I thought you never lied." Ella raised her eyebrow as her Dad came over and sat down beside her.

"Fine." He smiled. "I'm not sorry for checking you're okay, and I'm not sorry for loving my children, okay?" He gave her a one-armed hug and gave her a light kiss on her temple. "Revising?" he asked, nodding at the book.

"I was going to show it to Kim tomorrow at school," she told him. She wasn't expecting the look on his face when she mentioned school though. Was it… regret? It vanished just as quickly as it came though and she couldn't be sure.

"We'll talk about that," he said, confusing her more. "Ella… are you sure you're okay? I mean… your brother-"

"Chris is having nightmares," Ella finished for him. "I know. I hear him."

"And you?"

Ella shrugged. "If I am I can't remember them. Is that strange?" she asked, "Not getting nightmares after something like this?"

Of course Chris was only half-human and he was getting nightmares so maybe it wasn't… _that_, she realised as soon as she asked. Her mother had told her that her Dad got bad dreams too and she knew humans did. Maybe that was just an Ella thing…

"Things like this affect everyone differently," he father said with a shrug.

"Right." Ella nodded, trying to read her Dad to see if he did think it was strange but she couldn't see anything. "So what happened today?" she asked, changing the talk away from her attack, "I may not be Lois Lane but I am her daughter and I'd have to blind not to figure out something happened today."

Clark let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah…" he admitted after a moment, "something did happen. Your mother and I had a long talk about how we're moving forward and…"

"It's going to involve some big changes?" Ella guessed. "You have that 'it's going to involve some big changes' look."

"That's a look?" Clark seemed amused by her comment.

Ella nodded, "It's definitely a look. The same kinda look you get when we're moving apartments or getting another sibling."

"Well, you're right, we do need to discuss this with you and it will involve some big changes. In fact," he glanced at the clock on her beside table, "your sister should be coming over about now, we might as well call this meeting to order."

Ella nodded and got up, following her father to the door.

"Ella," he stopped her suddenly turning around to look at her, "you know I love you right? Even if for some unimaginable reason I don't tell you that every day you should never forget it."

Ella felt her face redden slightly, she knew her Dad loved her (duh, he was her Dad), but even so, such open expressions of emotions, even just between them, were a little embarrassing. Still, her heart did warm at the words, and instead of the worry she had expected in the back of her mind there was a sliver of hope. Maybe… maybe he would understand her feelings.

After all when he had found out he was an alien he had been the only one. Not like Ella who had had four siblings when she was born and now a fifth. Surely young Clark Kent, out in small-town America, on the farm, had had some doubts about himself. About not being the same as everyone else, not just in general but right in his very core. Surely when he found out every cells in his body was completely unlike anyone else's…

But even that wasn't the same, at least he _did _once belong somewhere. Not some strange half-and-half creature like her.

Still maybe… but not now. Not today, today she just buried it back where it belonged and smiled.

"I love you too, Dad."

* * *

Lois and Dean were the last to arrive at the table, coming out of the study both wearing serious faces. Lucy, Ella and Chris were already seated at the table, looking like they all wanted to know what was going on but had an idea they wouldn't like it when they found out and Sophie was leaning against the bench.

Jason was still at work, in fact, Clark realised, glancing at the clock, _BreakOut _would be almost finished if they were to turn on the TV. Jason had to stick around for autographs with the studio audience and rehearsals for the next shows though so he wouldn't be free for a while yet.

Everyone else was here though and since the main issues they had to talk about affected the younger kids more, Clark and Lois had decided Jason wouldn't mind if they went ahead without him.

Clark decided to go straight to the point.

"We don't think it's safe for you to go to school anymore."

A stunned silence followed his words. Only Lucy looked truly surprised though, the others, even little Chris, looked liked they understood , though they had probably hoped there would be another way.

"You're kidding, right?" Lucy asked finally. "I mean- wait, not for good right?"

"It's not safe, Luce," Ella said quietly, her hand going to hip, no doubt resting on the place where her scar lay under her shirt.

"For good, you're serious?" Lucy asked again.

"Yes, we're serious." Clark told her, "We shouldn't have even sent you back to school today."

"I don't want to leave school forever," Chris murmured quietly.

"I know, kiddo." Lois leaned over his chair to give her youngest son a hug. "We're sorry."

"No, you can't take us out of school," Lucy said, shaking her head and looking at them like she expected balloons to rain down and cameramen to jump out declaring her on Candid Camera.

Clark was preparing for more objections and arguments but Dean spoke up before anyone else could.

"I can watch them."

Clark hadn't expected _that_. The thought of asking one of the older children to do that hadn't even crossed his mind, it wasn't their job and it wasn't their fault it was necessary.

"I coming back in three weeks anyway," Dean reminded them, "Australia was our last stop. Besides, this way I won't have to crash here while I'm looking for a job, I can move back into my old room and take them to and from school. Then when they're home I can do the saving thing and you get to spend more time here."

"A job?" Clark asked, not having a proper argument prepared against that suggestion. His last point was also good, he would give anything to spend more time with his kids. For two years after they were born he had given up his job to take care of Lucy and Ella.

"Of course, how would that be an inconvenience to me?" Dean asked, "I need a job, you need someone you trust to watch over Lucy, Ella and Chris. Lucy, Ella and Chris still want to go to school. This is the solution to all those issues."

"Dad, please," Lucy begged. "Dean can protect us as well as you can and-"

"Vanderworth Academy and Eastview Primary aren't exactly close," Clark interrupted her, still talking to his son.

"They're seven blocks away," Dean replied, "if I fly high enough I can watch them both."

"And what if someone attacks them both at the same time?" Clark asked, shaking his head, "no, I appreciate the offer Dean but it's too dangerous, we can not have a repeat of what happened with you , Chris and Ella. I can't-" he broke off. _I can't survive that again._

"This is so unfair," Lucy yelled.

"Do you want to end up in hospital too?" Clark yelled suddenly, losing patience with his daughter. He continued, even though he always regretted raising his voice at his children after it happened and knew this time would be no different. "That's what's going to happen, if you're lucky, if you're not they'll just finish you off right then and there to hurt me and it _will_ hurt me, losing any of you would hurt me more than you could ever imagine. Lucy, I don't know why you can't see this but I am only trying to keep you safe.

"Things have changed and you need to start understanding that. I kept my identity secret for far greater reasons than just having a private life," Clark reminded her, his voice quieter now but still as forceful. "I did it to keep my family safe. To keep you safe. Now it's gone and you're not safe anymore."

"So what, you're just going to lock us up in the apartment for the rest of our lives?" Lucy challenged him, either unaffected by her father yelling at her or hiding it well.

"No," Clark said, trying to calm down so he could speak without yelling. "Right now though, you're young and you're vulnerable."

"Once you get older we won't be able to stop you doing what you want," Lois assured them. "Right now though, we want to make sure you get the chance to get older."

"This is so unfair," Lucy said again.

"Yeah, now you might not be able to make those talent scouts at school beg you to sign with them," Ella muttered, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Lois asked sharply, turning to look at Lucy with such intensity the girl almost looked scared, shooting her sister an annoyed look.

"It's nothing," Lucy told her, but her heart was racing and she had the look on her face that neither of her parents could fail to recognise as her "hiding something" look.

"There were talent scouts at your school?"

"Mom, it was nothing, Vander's has a great drama program, talents scouts show up-"

"At the showcases," Lois reminded her, her tone still sharp, "awful big coincidence they show up right after you become world-famous. I'm going to have a serious talk to your drama teacher, who the _hell_ does she think she is? Doing something like this without consulting us first? I bet she gets some sort of finder's fee right? Or not really a finder's fee because everyone will want a piece of you now-"

"Yeah, and I want it too," Lucy reminded her, cutting through her rant. "Or did the dream I've had my entire life suddenly vanish into thin air last Monday?"

"Your entire life? You're sixteen!" Lois exclaimed. "Lucy, I know you want to be an actress but you're still young and regardless of how keen you are it's still dangerous."

"Don't say _actress_ like it's a synonym for prostitute," Lucy snapped back at her mother. "Can't you support me a little? Everyone supported Sophie when she said she wanted to go to Harvard and they have, like a 2% acceptance rate. That's hard and takes a lot of work-"

"Lucy, how stupid are you?" Sophie snapped. "If you weren't too busy watching TV that could have been you who ended up in hospital instead of Ella, but because it wasn't, what? You've just decided it wasn't that serious, holy _shit_, I know some news stations are trying to tell people that because El didn't die it wasn't serious, never though you'd believe them though. Your own sister, your twin-"

"Shut up!" Lucy yelled. "Sophie, this has nothing to do with you."

"You just bought me into it," Sophie retorted, raising her voice to match her sister's.

"No, I bought how Mom and Dad treated you into it."

"Same thing, besides, this is affecting all of us, not just you. I mean seriously, how freaking _short-term _is your memory? Ella was in hospital _last week_, five days ago your sister almost died you don't understand why Dad might think it's a good idea to try and keep you safe?"

"You just _have_ to have a say in everything, don't you?" Lucy screamed at her sister.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sophie yelled back, both girls ignoring the rest of their family. "Look, it's not my fault someone has to baby-sit you all the time now, or that the whole world now _expects_ me to fly around saving their asses when they do stupid shit. I have my own life here."

A silence so sudden and heavy followed Sophie's last words that it seemed louder than the yelling that had preceded it. Clark felt everyone turn to look at him, only Sophie didn't, staring straight ahead, her heart rate skyrocketing and her face draining of colour.

"That's not what I meant, Dad, I didn't-" Sophie stumbled over her words, trying to explain.

"What did you mean then?" Lucy asked, rather nastily, as she seized the opportunity to get the upper hand on her sister.

"ENOUGH!" Lois yelled, clearly having enough and realising her daughters weren't going to respond to anything else. "Girls, stop it! This situation is no one's fault. Your father and I only want what's best for _all _of you," she told them, keeping the volume of her voice up but not to outright yelling at them. They were all stressed and that wouldn't help. "Sophie, if you don't want to help we're not forcing you."

"I never said that," Sophie muttered, looking remarkably subdued now it was her mother she was up against and not her kid sister.

"Lucy, you _are_ too young to leave school and go off to Hollywood. Even if you weren't also in an incredible amount of danger now your father and I _still_ wouldn't let you."

"Sixteen isn't too young to be an actress," Lucy insisted.

"Yeah, maybe for _Disney_," Sophie muttered, clearly not giving up the argument that easy.

"_Enough_," Lois repeated, "both of you. I know you're stressed and god knows you have every reason to be. But Lucy, no means no, what part of that don't you understand? Sophie, we're asking you, not forcing you and if you want us to believe you're a grown adult then leave your sister alone and act like one."

Sophie looked upset but she had inherited too much of her mother's stubbornness to apologise outright to her sister. She turned away from Lucy and to her father. "I didn't mean it like that," she repeated quietly, "Dad…"

"It's okay," Clark assured her, but even he wasn't that good a liar. Sophie's face turned from upset to devastated, though she tried to hide it as soon as it happened Clark still saw it clear as day.

Lucy had a bit more sense than Clark guessed too as she didn't pounce on her sister again. There was an awkward silence for a minute or two. Clark wanted to say something to his daughters but he couldn't seem to find the words. He wanted to tell Lucy that he only wanted her to be safe and happy, that's all he ever wanted for her, but sometimes safe and happy didn't fit in the same place.

He wanted to tell Sophie he wasn't hurt that she was upset with him for ruining her life, he had expected that, he was hurt she had hid it, bottled it up and trying to pretend she wasn't upset or afraid. He wanted to tell her it was okay, that she should talk to him if she felt that way. Or talk to her mother or Jason if she didn't want to tell him.

"Why doesn't everyone just calm down," Dean suggested quietly but in a calm and steady voice.

It was as if his words had let some air out of the bubble of tension engulfing the room, it wasn't gone but the mood seemed better almost immediately. Lucy nodded and sat down quietly at the table with a sigh, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Lois closed her eyes and took a slow breath while Ella and Chris remained silent but visibly relaxed.

"Dean's right," Lois said after a moment, looking up. "Your father and I know this is stressful for you and we're all going to be making sacrifices. We need to stick together and get through this as a family."

Sophie had moved away from the table while Lois spoke, towards the kitchen, clearly still upset at the reaction to her exclamation but Clark decided it would be best to discuss it with her alone. Of all the children she wasn't the most likely to stay upset about things but from the way she had reacted Clark knew they needed to talk.

Lucy would get over the fight, it was hardly the first time her and Sophie had butted heads, it used to happen at least once a week before Sophie moved out. He remembered when Sophie had started to talk and began fighting with Jason, he'd been so upset at even the most minor altercation, admitting to Lois once he was afraid his children hated each other. His wife had been shocked until he'd explained it was because they were always bickering. Lois had laughed until she cried.

Four more children later though and Clark had learned that bickering, fighting and sometimes outright nastiness and spite were par for the course when you have siblings. Even so-

"Clark?" Lois' voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he realised his wife, Dean, Lucy and Ella were all staring at him.

"Sorry, I was thinking."

"I was asking if you had heard anything new from your visit with Commissioner Henderson?" Lois asked.

"Henderson?" Clark took a moment to recall the conversation from that morning. Had it really only been that morning? Seemed so much longer ago. "He said all the suspects from the fire and robbery were in custody, he thinks they might have been illegal arms dealers, your average street criminal doesn't trade in highly-advanced hand-held missile launchers."

"I thought they were smuggling cocaine?" Lucy asked with a frown, her curiosity already overriding her previous anger at her parents. "Isn't that what the news said a week ago?"

"That was what someone said right after the event," Lois sighed, "you know how someone's guess can become breaking news under the right circumstances." She turned back to Clark and he could see the familiar glint in her eye, the one she got when she smelled a story. "This actually sounds like it might be related to a tip I got a few months ago, it was an unconfirmed report from an old friend I knew back when we were army-brats. She said the US military had lost a shipment of something they nicknamed 'RTF's' Ready-To-Fire. Some sort of extremely powerful rocket launcher that comes packaged like the one they shot at you. One shot only but completely armed and ready to go straight from the box. Perry never let me run it because I couldn't find hard evidence." She smiled and added, "For some reason the government doesn't like to admit they've lost very expensive and dangerous weapons which may now be in the hands of criminals."

"Hmm, funny that," Clark agreed, happy to see his wife like her old self again.

It didn't last long though. "Can I go to my room?" Chris asked, reminding them that there was still serious things to talk about.

"Of course, sweetie," Lois agreed, her son's words snapping her back to the present. "Why don't you try to do a bit of homework?"

"What if I watched Chris, and you can take care of Lucy and Ella?" Clark asked Dean once Chris was out of earshot, "that way they can both stay at school."

"What about when you have to be Superman?" Ella asked.

"I need a job anyway, this will help both of us. I mean we still need so much practice to be as good as you are," Dean told him, "we're still learning. Why not try it this way, at least until Soph, Jase and I get better at the whole superhero thing," he pleaded, almost as if he'd read his father's mind.

Clark opened his mouth to reply but found the words stuck in his throat. Sophie's outburst coming back to mind. He couldn't just abandon the world again, even if he was staying right here. But he couldn't ask his children to step up and cover for him completely. They had been doing so well in the past week, he was so proud of them but even they had admitted it had taken all three of them just to cover for Superman.

It had taken him decades to become as good at his other job as he was. Powers weren't everything. He'd had more training than most people realised, it had been on-the-job with the fire service, the men taking him through gutted buildings when he had time after a rescue to point out how to identify a source and when and where (and when and where not) to blow so the fire went out, not simply somewhere else.

Commissioner Henderson (then an Inspector) had written him many pages of advice on what was the best way he could stop criminals so they were delivered all the way to jail, rather than getting of thanks to a technicality or improperly followed procedure.

Then there had been the many hours he'd spent with doctors and paramedics, learning which injuries were most life threatening, who could be safely moved and who needed expert help. How to properly identify the injuries once he got them to hospital. His x-ray vision was lifesaving but not until he knew how to tell the surgeons who were saving the lives what was wrong in terms they understood.

Jason, Sophie and Dean could get all of that but it would take time. Of course, no amount of training made up for over three decades of experience…

"We could try it," his mouth said, before his brain had quite realised it was going to agree. "I'm still not sure I feel comfortable with the schools being so far away though, if all three of them we targeted at the same time and I was far enough away…" he shook his head, almost taking back his agreement right then.

"What about hiring tutors?" Ella said suddenly, elaborating when everyone gave her confused looks. "With the whole 'schools being too far away' thing," she said, "Dad's right, it would be safer for us all to be in one place. So you could use the tutor program at Vanderworth's for Chris and that way we can still go to school but we'll all be in one place."

"Tutor program?" Dean, the only Kent of age who hadn't attended the Academy, asked.

"Lucy's friend Sasha's step-sister is in it," Ella said, "they use the old gym, they made it two storeys converted it into small classrooms and rented it out to tutors and the kids rich enough to have them. They weren't officially part of the school program until a few years ago but now anyone who wants too can send their children to one-on-one or small group lessons with a private tutor while still enjoying school facilities and the fact they don't have to look after them for a day. It's mainly primary aged students who's siblings go to Vander's."

"Anyone with enough money," Lucy pointed out, "Vanderworth's is expensive but it's nothing compared to the tutors. You pay money to get in the program but then you have to pay again for the tutors. Even the really rich families usually send their kids to the main school when they're old enough. You're pretty much guaranteed entrance to the main school if you come from the tutors," she told her parents.

Clark rubbed his eyes as he considered his daughter's words. "You want me to go and tell your brother I don't think his relationship with his friends is as important as yours?"

"No, tell him there's two of us and one of him and tell him Vanderworth's tutor program is way better than a public primary education. And you're the one that said it's either this or home school. Either way he's not going to see his friends anymore."

Clark almost flinched at that. He knew, logically, that's what he was proposing to ensure the safety of his children but to hear his daughter state it so plainly made him think about it in a different way. Chris was seven his friends were the only reason he went to school, he wouldn't really care whether the tutors would give him a better education or not, he'd just care that Dad was telling him he wouldn't be able to see Tommy and LeTanya everyday anymore.

That bought other problems to mind too, with the attack on Ella would parents even want their children being friends with his? Ella had only survived that attack thanks to her rapid healing abilities she had inherited from him, anyone else in the way wouldn't have.

He pushed those problems away though. He could deal with that later, one problem at a time. No need to analyse just how completely he had ruined his children's lives just yet.

"He could make new ones though," his youngest daughter was talking again, trying to reassure him it wasn't all bad if he took this course, trying to keep the peace like she always did, "Ironically ever since it officially became part of the Academy it's been more like a separate school than ever, I forget it's not sometimes. They fenced off their part of the field and they even have their own cafeteria and playground. Don't have to wear uniforms either," she added, with a hint of envy.

"So I can't play with you two at play time or lunch?" Chris asked ten minutes later after they'd called him out and explained it all too him.

"I think it's against the rules," Ella told him apologetically, "you'll see Dean though and there'll be other kids there."

Lucy just shrugged. "I tell people I'm an only child."

"I would laugh, but she's not joking," Ella said as everyone else laughed.

"We could hire tutors at home," Clark pointed out, still smiling. He knew the argument was coming too late though.

He had effectively already agreed to leave the girls in school and move Chris to the same place. Dean had all of his powers and without Superman's experience and training he could do just as good of a job as his father in protecting three people, but certainly not the whole world.

Vanderworth's was a well-secured school too, the parents paid well for it, it might even be more secure than their current apartment- in all likelihood someone who could get kryptonite in weapon form into the school could get it into the apartment.

He could reconsider the arrangement once they had moved into a new apartment but he'd discuss that with Lois later rather than worrying the kids now.

Sirens caught his attention suddenly but Sophie was already out the door muttering she'd take care of it before he could react. Clark could already tell it wouldn't keep her occupied as long as she hoped and the emergency services could probably handle it themselves but made no protest.

"So that's what we're going to do?" Lucy asked hopefully when no one else spoke. "We can still go to school?"

"I think it sounds like it," Lois confirmed and suddenly the tension seems to drain from the room, like they had been living in a balloon and Lois' word's had been the pin to pop it.

"I'm hungry," Ella announced with a relieved sigh, "everyone okay with pasta?"

"I'm fine with that," Dean agreed, following his sister to the kitchen to help.

"If I'm going to a different school does that mean I don't have to do my homework tonight?" Chris asked hopefully.

Clark laughed, surprising himself. "Sure, buddy," he told his son, leaning over to ruffle his hair. Laughing more when Chris ducked out of the way and stuck out his tongue, hurrying to the kitchen to lend another hand.

Lucy mumbled something and wandered off towards her room leaving only Lois and Clark at the table. Lois gave him a look and without needing to discuss it Clark got up and retreated to the master bedroom.

"So we're trying that then?" Clark asked as soon as the door closed behind him, knowing the children would respect the rule about not eavesdropping through a closed door.

It felt somehow strange to have a finalised plan of action. Like there was no going back- of course they would make every effort to ensure they could go back at any moment. Clark wanted his children to be happy but he wanted to keep them alive more. The second Clark thought the new arrangement wasn't safe was the moment he ended it.

"I'll call Vanderworth's if you want," Lois offered, "you call Eastview. Hopefully we can plead exceptional circumstances to get the transfer to go quicker."

"How long do you think it will take?" Clark asked, hoping they could do it as soon as possible.

Lois shrugged. "I'd hope next week, that's the best case though."

"Keep them home until then?"

Lois nodded, "I can stay, and so will Dean, you need to keep reminding people that Superman is still here to help. We need as much public support as possible."

Clark nodded, after spending his life in a newsroom he knew just how much public opinion could matter. Superman had amazingly high approval ratings before he was Clark Kent, he needed to keep them up if he wanted things to go as easily as possible in the next few weeks.

Politicians weren't going to help them if they didn't think it would earn them votes and he already knew his families' rights were in question. After all, they weren't entirely human, were they even protected under any laws? Ella's attacker had been arrested, sure, but the Metropolis Police considered him one of them, no matter what his day job, and you don't attack a cop's kid and get away with it. Who knew if it'd hold up in court? What if all the criminals Superman had ever put behind bars were right now calling their lawyers to see if they could have their cases dismissed because of this new evidence. He made a note to ask Sophie to look into it, she liked it when he asked her lawyer questions. He should also double-check it with a proper lawyer, Dana at the _Planet _was good but he didn't know if she was still talking to him…

"Hey," Lois interrupted his thoughts, "we've had enough hard thinking today," she berated him lightly and with a smile, "save some brain cells for the rest of the week."

Clark couldn't help smiling back. "I love you."

"I know."

Unfortunately, while the kids respected the closed-door rule, they knew the easiest way to bypass it was to removed the closed door. They had barely started kissing when Sophie came in.

"Oh, _gross_!" She exclaimed, a tad overdramatically and she was smiling when her parents finally separated to give her their attention.

"Our bedroom, our rules," Lois told her with a shrug. "Besides you're old enough to know how you got here."

"Mom, until the day I die I wish to live in the firm belief I was delivered by a stork," Sophie said, sounding completely sincere.

She didn't keep up her act for long though, biting her lip as she turned to Clark. "Ummm, Dad, I just wanted to say, I really didn't mean what… I mean-"

"It's okay," Clark assured her, this time in complete honesty. "Sophie, I know you're under stress, I know you all are and I hate myself for causing that but-" he held up his hand as she opened her mouth to object- "but I was a little concerned you hadn't told us how you felt."

"But I don't feel like that!" Sophie cried, throwing her hands in the air. "At least… I don't think I do…" she said a lot more quietly. "I guess, I guess I don't know how I feel. But I do know I don't blame _you_ for this, in any way. I just…"

"You just want things to go back to the way they were," Clark finished for her.

"Yeah," Sophie sighed, "It's too hard to think this has only been a week. Seems more like a year."

Lois stepped forward and wordlessly embraced her daughter, Sophie returning the gesture immediately, burying her face in her mother's shoulder as Clark had seen her do so many time before when she was growing up.

"Sophie, you know just because you've left home now, doesn't stop us being your parents?" Lois asked calmly, still holding her tightly.

"I know," Sophie's muffled voice replied from her mother's shoulder.

Clark would never not be in awe of his wife. No matter how much she denied it, he knew she was the best mother in the entire world. Not that he was biased…

Sophie was like her mother but far from the old theory that people who were too alike never got along, she was very close with her both her parents and in only five more minutes of talking she was relaxed and the matter of her outburst had been put behind them. Perhaps it was because they were so alike that Lois knew exactly what to say, Clark mused as he hugged his daughter goodbye.

"I don't know how much I'll be able to come to tomorrow," Sophie said, "The Dean thinks I'll get through this whole cheating thing fine so he's advised me to keep going to classes and doing work."

"Don't worry about it," Clark ordered her. "Stay safe, okay?"

"I will."

"Love you," he called after her, smiling when she simply rolled her eyes and tried to look embarrassed but his ears still caught her muttered 'love you too' once she was halfway back to Massachusetts.

"Dinner's still a few minutes away," Lois said, turning back to her husband with a smile, "now… where were we?"

"Dad!"

"Jason?" Lois sounded as surprised as Clark by their eldest's sudden appearance but she couldn't quite hide the annoyance in her voice either.

"Dad," Jason repeated, looking relived. "You're back. I mean, where did you go? Uncle Richard said Sophie had told him you'd gone somewhere but not to tell me until after the show…"

"It's a long story, Jason," Lois told her son, before Clark could try and explain.

Jason listened patiently as she quickly explained the gist of the day and the conclusion it had bought them too.

"I can help too," he offered immediately, as Lois and Clark both knew he would.

"Jason, we can't ask you to do that, you already have a job and a life in New York."

"Wait, so Dean gets to help and I don't?"

"Jason, we're offering Dean a job," Lois reminded him, "something you already have."

"I'm twenty-six," Jason reminded them, "I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I'm also old enough that _BreakOut_ were probably thinking of replacing me soon anyway. Host usually only last two or three years and my contract is on a season-by-season basis."

"You just got a pay rise, I doubt they're looking to get rid of you."

Jason shifted uncomfortably. "You know, I wasn't actually getting paid minimum wage before," he said slowly, "Neither is Evie, and Sophie's roommate's cousin runs this finance firm so we put a bit in there, he was smart and we got lucky a few times and… well, what I'm trying to say is, I'm pretty well off, and even with and wedding and all that hopefully happening soon I can afford to take some family time."

"Dinner's ready!" Ella's voice floated in from the kitchen.

"Coming," Clark called back, before turning back to his son, "look Jason, we're just going to try it this way, it's not set in stone, let's wait and see."

"You're still going to need to help cover for Superman," Lois reminded him, "are you staying for dinner?"

Jason sighed, accepting the conversation was over for now at least. "No, thanks, I promised Evie I'd be home tonight. I still want to talk about this more," he warned them.

"Love you," Lois told him pointedly, kissing him on the cheek.

"Yeah, yeah, not now though," Jason muttered, heading towards the door, "Love you too."

Dinner was uneventful, Sophie and Jason had returned to their own apartments and the younger kids didn't seem eager to rehash any of the conversation they'd had that afternoon.

They had watched TV for a while, no news shows though, then everyone had gone to their bedrooms without protest, though the lights were still on in Lucy and Dean's rooms.

Dean… Lois couldn't help sighing as her mind turned to her son. With all the time she had taken to convince Dean he would be a worthy bodyguard for his siblings she only hoped Clark hadn't undone that work. She knew he hadn't meant to question his son's abilities and was only trying to keep everyone safe but she also knew how much Dean thought of his father's opinion.

Dean was young, only eighteen, but Lois herself even forgot that sometimes. Not just because he was as tall as Clark and not even only because seemed to have skipped right over his teenage angst phase and plunged directly into being a mature adult.

His powers were fully developed too. It had taken Jason until he was twenty-one to get to where Dean was now, to the level he could keep up with their Dad in an around-the-world race, or hold his own in an arm-wrestling match. Sophie had been able to compete with her father and brother a year ago at twenty, though her strength was still lacking compared to them, they had attributed that to her being smaller, she compensated by beating them with her visual and auditory abilities. And being able to effortlessly bench-press a tractor was hardly weak in any sense of the word.

Dean had been seventeen when he'd actually _beaten_ his father in an arm wrestle. Clark had been stunned and believed it to be a fluke until he'd taken his son to the Arctic and Dean had managed hold his own in a proper training match. Scientists had been stumped by the unusual seismic activity for weeks but Clark had been too proud to care, had hadn't been able to stop smiling for days. The arm wrestle had been a small fluke though- Dean wasn't_ stronger _than Clark but he'd certainly get there one day.

Dean could protect his siblings as well as his father could, and he could do it better than a hired hand because he actually cared deeply about them. He also did need a job when he got back, having long since decided college wasn't for him. The only problem with her plan, and one she honestly hadn't foreseen, had been that Dean himself didn't think he could.

He may have acted like an adult most of the time but every so often he was good at reminding her he was still barely out of school. The attack on Ella and his perceived failure to adequately protect her and Chris had left him shaken in his abilities, something he had only confided in her and only because she'd pressed. It had taken her a lot of convincing to get him to see that with preparation and proper training and equipment he would make a much better bodyguard than anyone else they'd ever be able to find. On Earth at least. There was only one thing that could take him down and that could hurt his father as well, if Clark had been in that alleyway instead of Dean, chances were the result would have been the same.

Maybe she should ask Jason to talk to his brother too. Though she'd have to talk to him first, she knew he was eager to help but she didn't want someone else accidentally implying Dean might not be able to handle the responsibility by himself.

At least she had help though, she thought with a smile, her boys were trouble enough but thankfully Clark had agreed to talk to Lucy about tonight. Lois loved all her children like anything but right now she knew she'd just end up fighting with Lucy again which wouldn't do anyone any good. She knew Clark would have far more luck.

* * *

People told Lucy she got her temper from her mother. They were wrong, it wasn't from her Dad either, Lucy knew her temper was all hers and she hated it.

Her mother's stubborn, fiery anger always came out in sharp, well placed attacks on her opponent, despite seeing her angry Lucy wasn't sure she'd ever seen her mother lose her head in an argument.

Lucy was the opposite, she was too stubborn, she couldn't back down, even when everything her Dad had been telling her was true she was just so angry and upset that she keep screaming at them. Sophie always pissed her off too, even though she was also right, but Sophie, unlike her, had the sense not to take on their parents in a fight.

Her mother's temper made her sharper, Lucy's made her throw a tantrum with all the grace of a three-year-old stamping her foot and yelling 'but I don't wanna!'

"Lucy?"

Lucy jumped as her Dad leaned into her room, trying to wipe her watering eyes. "I'm fine," she lied, hoping he would just leave.

"Oh, Lucy." He closed her door behind him and sat beside her on the bed, pulling her into a hug.

"Sorry," Lucy said weakly, through her tears, "I didn't… I didn't mean to get so upset."

God, she hated crying. No one looked attractive when they cried. It always made her make-up smudge too and she wasn't supposed to wear make-up to school.

Her parents didn't like her wearing make-up at all, though her Mom had relented a bit when she'd turned fifteen, having to admit that's when she'd started wearing it, but not too often and not to school. Her Dad had just told her she was pretty enough and he didn't want to have to send any teenagers in her class to hospital. 'It would be bad for Superman's public image,' he'd joked.

Her Dad gave her an odd look when she giggled through her tears at the memory.

"Sorry," she said again, "god, I'm sorry I'm crying, I slept badly last night," she tried to explain it away.

"Lucy, it's okay," her Dad laughed quietly, "please don't think you need to make excuses to me."

"No, just Mom," Lucy muttered, remembering her mother's tone when she'd spoken about Lucy becoming an actress.

"And you know that's not true," her Dad chided her. He looked over his shoulder and then leaned closer to her, whispering secretively. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell on me?"

"What?" Lucy asked, feeling a bit too old for the game but also curious of what he had to say.

"Your mother's scared," Clark said simply, "nothing terrifies her more than the thought of her children being hurt. After what happened to Ella she just wants you to be safe. She's not angry at you at all," he promised her, "but it's so much easier to get angry than it is to admit you're scared."

"Especially for Mom," Lucy giggled, feeling better already.

"Especially for your mother," Clark agreed, smiling back. "I have to go for a bit," he told her suddenly, his head twitching to the side. "Are you going to be okay?"

Lucy nodded, unable to reply as a huge yawn forced its way out. "I think I might get some sleep," she laughed once she could close her mouth again.

"Looks like you need it. Sleep tight, Lulu, love you."

"Love you too, Dad," she replied as he slipped out and headed to the balcony. "Keep safe."

* * *

Lois had turned the lights out and tried to sleep for all of three seconds before sitting back up and switching on the television. She turned the volume down low and, hoping the children really did respect the closed-door rule, switched it straight to the news.

_"- one has to wonder if the President's seeming indecisiveness on taking a stand on this issue is doing more harm to his political career than going against public opinion." _

Lois recognised the speaker, Dirk Trent. She had always liked him, he was more of a talking head than a proper journalist but he was never afraid to speak his mind and stick to it, even when it was unpopular.

_"So you think he should just make a statement one way or the other, does he agree that what Clark Kent did was right or does he condemn his actions and his keeping secrets?"_

The other report Lois didn't know, she just looked like some blonde bimbo they'd hired to get men to watch. Her words weren't even her own either, she kept tilting her head to the left and listening intently to her earpiece before replying.

_"Exactly, I mean, obviously it's about more than just a, what are we calling it- Superman's "secret identity", but-"_

_"Can I just interrupt you there, Dirk? By 'more' you are referring to his children, aren't you?"_

_"Well of course, isn't everyone? Though to be honest, I don't believe it should be that much more, I mean-"_

_"You don't believe he should have told people he was a father?"_

_"Well, not if we're saying… what? That the world had some sort of__…_right _to know about these kids?"_

_"Well, shouldn't we? I mean, you've seen what they can do, don't you think some people would want to know that people like that are out there?_

_"I don't know if we should go down that track," _Dirk sighed, shaking his head,_ "it's a slippery slope, first we start by saying we should know how many people there are who can fly, or lift truck with their bare hands. To some it seems reasonable, then what? Do we start registering people who can__…__ bench-press more than a certain weight? Martial artists, they can be dangerous-"_

_"Well, that is different, these kids aren't even human-"_

_"I'm going to stop you right there, Kelly," _Dirk interrupted. Lois snorted, figures she'd have a stupid name like 'Kelly' to go with her looks and mindless regurgitation of someone probably to unattractive to face a camera. She ignored the corner of her brain reminding her of an old school friend and a favourite teacher at college both called Kelly in favour of imagining TV Kelly's parents had named her that in anticipation of her being an idiot.

_"These children may not be fully human, that's biological fact even they couldn't deny, but no one should be standing up and claiming they're not people."_

_"Well, no," _Kelly assured him, laughing nervously as they reached a line even the network wouldn't touch. That was something at least, Lois thought.

_"You know," _Dirk started, _"I think this is the start of something big for this world, we've known aliens exist since Superman arrived, it is only a matter of time before we're out there meeting them, now, if Superman- or Clark or whatever we're calling him, is telling the truth about how hard it was for him to get here then, hey, maybe it won't happen in our lifetimes, or even our kids but don't we want to be ready, don't we want to be able to say, yeah, we had people from other planets living here and we treated them like one of our own, that's what Earth hospitality is."_

_"You're talking about, what, changing the Constitution?"_

_"Hey, the Constitution's what says they're American citizens with all the rights and privileges of one already. I'm talking go further, the Bill of Human Rights, now that hasn't been right for almost three decades now, there's been talk before of including Superman but we need to go beyond just saying, 'hey, you're as good as humans' and say 'hey, you're not human, or not fully human and that's cool too'. C'mon, the Bill of Human and Kryptonian Rights'? Doesn't that sound amazing?"_

The woman smiled nervously and tilted her head to one side, listening to her earpiece. _"I'm sorry, Dirk, I'm going to have to stop you there, we're out of time."_

The screen switched back to the main studio. _"Well, some interesting thoughts there from Dirk Trent and Kelly Eldred," _the presenter said with a quick eyebrow life, clearly Lois wasn't the only one thinking Dirk was probably getting fired on the spot. _"Of course the country is still waiting on official word from the White House, many wondering why a statement has taken a _week_ already. There are unconfirmed reports that the President is going to be at Clark Kent's press conference tomorrow though-"_

Lois turned it off just as Clark walked back in. After twenty-two years of marriage she should have known better than to think she had saved him from hearing it though.

"Sounds like Dirk Trent is going to get a severe talking to," he said casually.

"How's Lucy?" Lois asked.

"She's upset," Clark told her, accepting the change of subject, "she was really worried about what Ella thought of her."

"Ella knows her sister by now," Lois sighed, "they all do."

"That's what I told her." Clark nodded. "I think she's been thinking we'd pull her out of school since it happened and when we sent her back today she was starting to relax…"

"Only to get scared into thinking we were going to do it today," Lois finished, nodding with him.

"We were," Clark reminded her. "I'm still not sure we shouldn't."

"Give Dean a chance," Lois told him. "I know he's young and you can keep an eye on him until you're sure he can handle it but I think he can."

"I don't doubt Dean," Clark told her. She would have to remind him to tell his son that too. "I just…"

"Why don't we talk more in the morning? Nothing can't be changed or adjusted later," she reminded him, "even Lucy will understand that. Eventually," she added, hoping it was true. "Mayb-" she started before a yawn cut her off.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Clark suggested with a smile.

"Just because I'm not solar-powered," Lois muttered, "are you coming?"

"In a minute," Clark told her, remaining in his place, just sitting on his bed staring at the wall.

A 'clunk' behind him made Clark turn and he saw his wife placing one of her handguns on her bedside table. A quick glance with his x-ray vision confirmed it was fully-loaded, though the safely was on, which was something.

The house was almost completely silent. The intense conversation had tired everyone out it seemed, even Chris was sleeping soundly, though Brown Bear, his favourite teddy, who he had decided several months ago he was to old for, was being firmly cuddled in his arms.

He decided not to comment on the gun, though Lois could probably draw as much from his silence as she could from anything he said about it. He didn't like guns but Lois had owned one since she was sixteen and she hadn't given it up just because she had married Superman.

Over the years she had stopped carrying one everywhere she went but she still maintained them and practiced regularly and it had surprised Clark when he found, far from being bothered, he was less worried when she had resumed carrying one again this past week.

"Clark?"

"Sorry, I was… thinking," Clark told her. That was going to turn into Superman's new catch-phrase if he wasn't careful. Though somehow it didn't seem to pack the same inspirational punch as 'Truth and Justice' did.

The thought made him smile.

"Try and get some sleep," Lois suggested, yawning widely. "It's been a long day," she sighed, switching her light off and climbing into bed.

She was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow but Clark remained sitting for a moment longer. Then another.

The Taylors next door were still awake too, arguing about something. Downstairs the newborn on the fifth floor started crying again. Clark heard it all but he wasn't listening. He was considering.

It was so late it was almost early by the time he decided if he waited any longer he'd lose his nerve. But he'd kept stranger hours and if he was to sort this out before the press conference then he wasn't the only one who wasn't going to be getting much sleep tonight.

He pulled out his nice suit- the one without coffee stains where he'd 'accidentally' spilled it on himself. A good tie to match too, also devoid of coffee encounters.

Lois woke up when he started putting his shoes on. "Where are you going?" she asked, a note of concern in her voice.

Clark told her and she relaxed, smiling at him from the bed. "Now that's my husband," she murmured sleepily, with a contented sigh.

"I'll be back for breakfast," he promised, kissing her as she sunk back in to the pillows. She was sleeping again already, though she always claimed to sleep better with him beside her she was happy enough with the knowledge he wasn't running off to parts unknown without her this time.

Clark did long to lie back down with her but he knew he had to do this. With one last check in the mirror he threw a longing look back to his glasses before stepping out the balcony door and taking off into the night.

There was someone very important he needed to talk to.

* * *

**A/N: **Apologies to anyone named Kelly :P I hope it's obvious Lois' thoughts were only like that because of what was being said. I know a ton of people called Kelly, from very smart to complete bimbos, I chose it just because it seemed like a common name. Again, no offence intended.

Reviews are love!


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** If I put a long excuse up here for the massive delay would anyone care? :P Let's just say I fucking hate earthquakes and aftershocks and people who give you less than a month to move out of your house for quake repairs.

Anyway, I wrote a few little LJ-only Revelations oneshots but has decided we don't get to link from profile pages anymore, yay. Not. So I'm not too sure how to get you to them. Hopefully by the next chapter it's all fixed and I can link anyone interested. Anywho, you've waited enough and I hope it was worth it. Enjoy.

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: **_**Breaking And Interviewing**_

* * *

The usual way to enter the building required an extensive background check, booking six months in advance and providing Security with one's date of birth, social security number and proof of country of citizenship.

Superman had never bothered with that though, Clark Kent didn't either. He had no doubt the people here had already collected all that information and more the day his two lives became one.

Security was still tight, even at two in the morning, Clark managed to avoid most of the guards but was aware he had been seen on the security cameras and quiet alarms had been set off. He walked at a normal pace, seeing no need to hurry now he was here.

He had almost reached his destination when they finally caught up with him.

"Freeze!"

Clark stopped, putting his hands up slowly. He didn't recognise the voice but then again, he didn't know many of the night guards. Superman may not have wasted time on security checks but he at least usually had the courtesy to show up during the day.

"Now turn around _slowly_."

Clark complied, turning to face the guard who was holding a gun and shining a flashlight in his eyes. It would have blinded a human but Clark had no trouble seeing the man holding the weapon.

He was clearly highly trained, no mall-cop security guards here. FBI was Clark's guess, Lois would know for sure.

"Who are you and how in the _hell_ did you get in here?"

Clark frowned, the flashlight obviously wasn't enough to recognise him by, despite his face being on the news 24/7 for the past week. Still, the man in front of him hardly looked the type to sit on the sofa watching TV.

"I said, who are you?"

"It might be easier if I showed you," Clark replied, deciding on a route that would be the quickest way to get where he needed to be.

He reached inside his jacket, noting with interest that the guard had an impressive reaction time, pulling the trigger of his pistol before Clark's hand had even found his pocket. He stopped moving at a normal pace then, speeding towards the man, pulling the bullet from the air as he did and pulling something that was very much not a gun from his pocket.

"Clark Kent, _Daily Planet_," he announced, flipping open his press badge to show the man. "I'm here to see the President."

"You're kidding, right?" The most powerful man in the country tried to look annoyed a few minutes later, but in his pyjamas, with his hair sticking upright and a small smile on his face the impact wasn't quite there.

It was much the same thing everyone else that they'd encountered in the hallway on the way to the Oval Office had said.

"I'm short on time and I wanted to get your attention," Clark told him, his amusement at the other man's appearance not quite overriding his nerves at how this meeting was going to go. He was of the opinion that the current President was a good man (he'd voted for him) but just because he had a good relationship with him as Superman, it didn't mean he would with Clark Kent.

"You managed," the man replied drily, sitting in his chair heavily, accepting the coffee one of his staff gave him with a grateful nod.

"Could we speak privately?" Clark asked, counting the sounds of seven security men behind him.

"Of course," the President said, surprising him a little. "If you will, gentlemen?" He indicated to the door.

No one moved.

"Oh, come on," the man sighed, rolling his eyes. "I highly doubt he's going to harm me and if he did, do you really think you could stop him?"

Clark only just managed to keep his face expressionless. The security guards filed out. It hurt him, that he'd spent almost three decades gaining the trust of people on Earth only to have them suddenly think just because he wanted to protect his family that he wasn't to be trusted after all.

The President rubbed his eyes, stifled a yawn and took a drink from his coffee before speaking again. "I want you to know I agree with what you did," he stated plainly, "my family's been targeted more than once because of what I do and if I had my way I'd simply be referred to as 'The President' and no one would know who I or my family really was. But life can't always be so simple."

"No, it can't," Clark agreed with a heavy sigh.

"Is your daughter well?" the man asked, sipping his coffee again. "Eleanor, was it?"

"Yes, and yes, she's back home now."

"I'm very pleased to hear that," the President told him, his voice sincere. "I have a son her age, just after the start of my term someone tried to break into his school to hurt him. Nothing happened so I know it's hardly comparable but it gave us such a scare and I know if I could have protected my family the way you did your children I wouldn't have hesitated to do so.

"Ah," he sighed, finishing his coffee, not waiting for Clark to reply to his previous words, "I must apologize for the small-talk, I probably should be more accustomed than I am to waking up at odd hours but it always takes me a moment and a good coffee to fully get my mind into the present."

"I understand," Clark assured him.

"Anyway, let's get down to why you're here, and let me say this before you start: I still trust you as much as I did before," he told Clark, "and I know a lot of people who agree. If you really were a bad person why on Earth would keeping your identity a secret be a worry? If you really were out to hurt anyone why the hell would you trouble yourself getting married and having a family and hiding for thirty odd years?"

"What about my children, do you trust them?"

The man sitting across from him nodded, he'd clearly been expecting that. "I don't know them," he pointed out truthfully, "but we do have a saying here, innocent until proven guilty. I'm certainly not going to act on some of the more extreme suggestions members of the public have given us."

Clark frowned at the reminder. He'd been trying to avoid the news stations and papers reporting on those people but he'd still heard the talk. That his children were dangerous because of their powers and should be locked up. Thankfully most people seemed to disagree but it was still getting far more serious coverage than he'd have liked.

"I guess you know they're why I'm here?" he asked.

"I figured."

"The government hasn't commented on the situation," Clark said, trying but not quite succeeding to keep his voice even. "I know me having a secret identity might not have been top priority but surely the existence of more people with my powers…" he trailed off, not entirely sure how to properly finish the sentence.

"We haven't commented but we have been watching. No offence to your kids, I mean, we assumed the best of them but we were ready if they turned out to be using their… abilities to harm anyone."

"So you're going to leave them be." He tried to keep his voice as even as possible, not presenting it as a question.

"You're a smart man, Superman-"

"Call me Clark."

"- Clark then. You know I don't simply have the power to snap my fingers and make a new law."

"No," Clark acknowledged, "you're not all-powerful but you are powerful. My children are American citizens. I simply want your assurance you will do everything in your power to see that they remain so with all the rights and privileges that accompany that until we figure something out."

"That 'something' being how to remain politically neutral while still having this rights of Americans I'm assuming?"

"Yes," Clark answered bluntly. "None of us are willing to become pawns in any political game. We will not use our unique abilities unfairly in favor of any one country over another. But we do have to live somewhere."

"And if I don't agree?" the President asked, his tone entirely unthreatening. Though whether it was the late hour dulling his tone or he simply wanted to know Clark wasn't sure.

"We'll have to move," Clark replied, "obviously I don't want to do that, three of my children still live at home and I don't want to take them away from their friends." He ignored the voice in his head reminding him that's what he was doing to Chris anyway. The President didn't need to know that. "There are many countries on Earth and there will be one which will give us the rights we want."

"Well, clearly I'd rather keep you here," the President told him, keeping with the completely honest tone of the conversation. "I won't try and draft any of your children or ever ask you to represent America on the world stage but no matter how neutral you are it's good to be able to claim you as ours. Not politically of course," he added with a shrug.

Clark knew exactly what he meant and he wasn't naïve enough to deny it or pretend he thought he could change it.

His spaceship had landed in Kansas almost completely by chance. It had been programmed to come down on land, near people, but other than that there had been nothing special about landing in America.

"Are you willing to say that on record?" Clark asked. "I hope you are, though it is your decision. Still, I'm not leaving until I get an answer," he told the President, keeping his tone unconcerned, as if he was completely prepared to sit in the office for the rest of the night if it took that long.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then," The President replied, "now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some sleep."

The flight back was calm, the sky from D.C. to Metropolis was clear and thankfully disaster-free. At least free of disasters he could help with.

He landed silently on the balcony when he arrived back at the apartment.

He had expected everyone to be asleep so he was surprised to see the lights on in the living room. He opened the door and stepped inside to see Ella and Dean sitting across from each other, both holding steaming mugs- hot chocolate if he knew his daughter.

Dean looked up when he entered but Ella's reaction was more extreme, jumping out of her chair and whirling round to face him as if he'd startled her.

"Dad!"

"Ella?" he asked, confused at her reaction and surprised to see her looking almost frightened. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, "how long…"

Clark frowned. "I didn't hear anything you were discussing," he told her, "if that's what you're worried about…"

"Oh." Ella frowned, looking a little embarrassed now and Clark was relieved to see her shoulders relax and hear her heart rate slow. Nothing serious, just a fright and something she didn't want him to know. Run of the mill for teenagers these days.

"It's nothing serious, Dad," Dean said in his calm, quiet voice, "but it's between Ella and me."

"It's not that I don't trust you," Ella rushed to explain, her voice still a bit unsteady and refusing to meet her father's eyes. "It's just… personal."

"It's okay," Clark assured her, surprised when he looked closer to see her shaking. "I trust you too, if it's personal and you feel more comfortable discussing it with your brother then that's fine. I know you'd come to me if it was something serious."

The look on Ella's face almost made him smile, if there was one thing Jonathan Kent had taught him it was the 'I trust you' were the three most effective words a parent could say to their child.

But after a moment he watched his daughter's face shift from uncertain and guilty to steady and serious. "I will," she told him, and this time he knew she was telling the truth.

* * *

Lois felt the bed dip as her husband returned from his visit to the President. The seven-year-old-boy-sized space heater curled around her shifted slightly but didn't wake up.

She opened her eyes to his father's concerned face. "Another one?" he asked, stroking Chris' hair as the boy clung to his mother, his head buried in her chest and his arms tight around her waist.

"Kind of," Lois replied quietly, careful not to wake him, "he came in here, he looked scared and said he couldn't sleep."

Clark bit his lip as he stroked his son's hair. "Do you think we should get him to talk to someone?" he asked, keeping his voice low too.

"I do still have Dr. Hadley's number somewhere," Lois sighed, remembering the kind psychiatrist who Jason had seen after the incident with Luthor on the yacht so many years ago, she was also familiar with Sophie and Dean after they had been attacked when she had angered the wrong man with a story. "If she still practices. But it's been less than a week, he might recover with just our help," she told Clark, also remembering the dent Dr. Hadley's prices had put in their wallet.

Of course no amount of money was too much to help her son but she did hope he might just need some time and help from his family to naturally recover from the trauma. "If he still seems this upset in another week we'll talk to him and then maybe call her."

"Okay," Clark agreed. He leaned down and kissed the top of Chris' head.

"You know," Lois sighed, keeping her voice soft, "I know I go on a bit about how I can't believe we have six children-"

"A bit?" Clark interrupted, raising his eyebrows.

"Okay, a lot," Lois conceded with a quiet laugh, "but then I think that to have less children would mean I wouldn't have some of them and I just can't choose which one I could imagine life without."

"I wish I had a recorder with me right now," Clark teased with a grin. "I think the news that Lois 'Mad Dog' Lane is secretly _happy_ to be a mother of six might eclipse even Superman's secret identity in newsworthiness. Shall I call the_ Planet _and tell them to stop the presses?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "You ever tell anyone I said that and I will carry through with my threat of castration by kryptonite," she told him as threateningly as she could manage without waking her son.

Her husband winced but the gleam in his eye said he knew she was joking. Perhaps if Chris hadn't been there he would have come back with a remark about how she'd never complained about making them, then blushed adorably and reminded her just how much she loved him.

Of course, that kind of talk invariably led to other sorts of things between them and the reminder of what could result from _that_ was still curled up between them.

She was glad to see the man she'd fallen in love with coming back though, life really never would be the same but he was joking with her again, and smiling like he hadn't since before this had all happened. If tomorrow went as well as she dared to hope it might, then things could even start to get better.

It would be a long road, but it would be a good first step.

"We are lucky, aren't we?" he asked, smiling at his son's sleeping face.

"We are," Lois agreed, "even with all that's happening you know we'll always be a family, right? We will protect them."

"I know. Night, Lois. I love you."

"Night, Smallville," Lois replied, stifling a yawn, "Love you too."

* * *

The woman had the type of face that looked like it had never known a smile. Even if she hadn't told Smith what she'd be wearing he still would have been able to pick her out.

"Miss Green?" He asked, if only for formality's sake.

"I am," the woman replied, "and you must be Smith."

"I am," Smith replied, though it hadn't been a question.

"I found your idea very intriguing," the woman who called herself Miss Green started, "I'm rather annoyed I didn't consider it first."

Smith smiled modestly, not bothering to mention it hadn't been him who had thought up the device. He'd uncovered the unique blueprint in the apartment of a man he'd killed for the mob last year. The man either hadn't had the resources to create it or had been unwilling. A lot of people in his line of work liked to plan ways to hurt the Man of Steel though, and Smith was just glad he had kept the plans.

He never intended to ever see the alien face-to-face but this device, if it worked, would certainly help the men he did plan to send to meet Superman and his half-breed children.

The woman across from him probably didn't care who was going to use them though. As far as Smith knew her only loyalty was to money. She worked for anyone who was willing to pay and right now that was him.

"Can you do it?" He asked after a moment. He already knew she could, or else she'd never have bothered to arrange a meeting after he'd sent her the plans of the device.

"I don't insult you by asking stupid questions," the woman replied calmly, "if you want this contract to go smoothly I suggest you do the same."

Smith frowned slightly but nodded. She was right, he had disclosed almost this whole plan to her and she hadn't batted an eyelid. No doubt she had already thought of at least five other plans that were easier and smoother than what he requested but she merely stated her price and promised him a reasonable date to complete it by.

"I need it sooner."

"I have other work, Mr. Smith," the woman told him, her voice neutral.

"I'll double the payment." For the first time emotion showed on her face, the slightest crease of a frown on her forehead, gone in a moment but still there. He knew exactly what she was thinking. It didn't matter though, she wouldn't ask him why he needed the work sooner or why he was willing to pay so much money.

Not that the money mattered to Smith, the job would net a considerable profit once it was completed and the extra suffering the Kents would endure as the means to his end? Well, that was personal satisfaction worth more than any amount of money to him. And he had plenty to spare.

"I can have it ready in two weeks," the woman told him, professional as ever. She was being paid, what did she care what Smith did with her products? "It would not be physically possible to have the work completed any earlier."

"Understood." Smith nodded, two weeks was plenty of time. "Half today, the rest on completion. I will send delivery details nearer the date."

"Of course."

She got up to leave, picking up the suitcase Smith had bought with him. Before she walked out of the café he had to ask one more thing.

"What do you think of this thing with Superman then?"

"It doesn't bother me," the woman said calmly, seemingly unfazed at his sudden question. "I was surprised but my feelings towards him have not changed. Goodbye."

She left.

Smith just shrugged and finished his coffee. He didn't mind, he wasn't doing this for anyone else. Sure, he could get a few other jobs accomplished in the course of his plan and bring in considerable money but destroying Clark Kent and his family would be the best payment he'd ever receive.

* * *

"You know," Jason Kent sighed loudly over the commotion in his apartment, "avoiding things like this is why I moved out."

He thought he heard someone call, "Shut up, Jason" but on the whole the eleven other people in the living room and kitchen ignored him.

"You're out of milk," Tristan told him, shaking the bottle upside down over his cereal just to make sure.

"There's some long-life stuff in the cupboard under the oven," Evelyn told him, emerging from the spare room dragging two more chairs.

"Okay, so when does it actually start?" Dani asked the room in general as she finished her toast.

"I think Dad said nine or something?" Lucy told her sister's roommate, over the heads of Evelyn's brother and sister who were on the couch beside her.

Jason rolled his eyes and decided to just give up. He still wasn't exactly sure what had happened this morning. One moment he'd been having breakfast with Richard and Eric, who'd stayed the night, and discussing plans for moving apartments with Evelyn, next thing Sophie had showed up with her roommate in tow announcing that they were going to have breakfast and watch their Dad's press conference at Jason's place because having them there would just stress Dad out.

All of which Jason had agreed with (well, not the part about Dani being there but the other law student had immediately set to making herself quite at home and he had decided fighting with his sister wasn't worth the effort).

Next thing he knew, Dean had carted Lucy, Ella and Chris in through the window, explaining that Lois thought being … _alone_ with her husband that morning might help relax him for the press conference and Jason couldn't really blame them for all leaving as soon as they could.

Evelyn's New York-based siblings, Nina and Mitchell had shown up together and when Evelyn didn't act surprised Jason was worried she had told him they were coming and he'd forgot or not been paying attention so he hadn't said anything and then when Tristan had shown up he'd been beyond trying to figure out what was going on and just nodded when his friend and workmate had told him he'd already called work to say they'd both be in late and it was okay because today was the day they showed at least half and hour of pre-filmed segments anyway so did he have anything to eat?

"There are far too many people here," Jason commented to no one in particular.

The apartment wasn't bad for two, both Jason and Evelyn had incomes quite a distance above average but this was New York. The apartment felt full with six people, with the current amount it had packed into it, Jason was expecting it to burst at the seams any second.

"Oh!" Sophie's excited yelp from the couch managed to make everyone be quiet at least though. "Uncle Jimmy just text me to say Dad's there-"

"The news is saying that too-" someone else interrupted her before being interrupted themselves by at least three variations of 'be quiet!'

"- _and _the President of the United States."

"Did he say what the President is going to say?" Jason asked, once the chorus of surprised exclamations and one 'who's President now?' had died down.

"No, he actually asked me if I knew," Sophie replied, "but he mentioned Dad wasn't surprised so maybe he had a talk with him sometime?"

"Dad went out last night," Dean and Ella said in unison.

"Actually he went out four times," Dean continued. "He could have stopped by the White House any time."

"In the middle of the night?" Mitchell asked, "Without calling? Would they just shoot him for trespass- _ohhh_, right. Bulletproof."

"Still, can't have-"

"Shhhhhhhh!" Whoever had been about to talk was interrupted by at least three people shushing them as the reporter's face disappeared to be replaced by the stand for the press conference.

"_We are being told that the President will be making a statement _before _Clark Kent speaks. No details have been released on what he intends to say in his address but there are unconfirmed reports he will be in support of Clark Kent and his family-"_

"_Of course he'll want to keep the world thinking they're American," _another reporter added, "_even though I doubt Sup- Clark Kent will ever work for the government there's no denying America can- oh, we've just received word the President is about to speak-" _

The reporter was cut off as the screen suddenly switched to a room in the _Planet _building, currently set up for the press conference. Where a reporter from what seemed like every paper or news station in the country, and many international ones as well, was seated in front of a lectern bristling with microphones.

Suddenly Jason felt a hint of doubt creep up on him. He'd been for this press conference from the moment it had been suggested, helping convince his Dad it was the best option right now.

"A lot of people still do trust the _Planet,_" he'd told his him last week, "but there are plenty who don't any more and the ones who do still want their own chance to talk to you. A press conference is a much better option to satisfy them than doing a separate interview with each."

Now, seeing all the reporters, ready and more than eager to throw all they had at his father, he wasn't so sure. Clark was more than capable of holding his own against even that many people but the real worry in Jason's mind was that he would want to. Ever since the secret had been blown he'd been far too worried about people still liking him, now Jason only hoped his Mom had been successful at reminding him that pleasing everyone was impossible, even for Superman.

He was so wrapped in his own thoughts it was a second before he realized the President was already speaking. He didn't think he'd missed too much though.

"_It is my intention,"_the man was saying, "_to clarify the laws surrounding rescue workers who work with abilities like Superman's. Using both past court rulings of the last 30 years along with advice from all sectors of the emergency services and legal advice from the UN and sources within the United States."_

"_Could you give us an example of what effects you are hoping to achieve wit__h this?"_ A reporter asked, singled out among the many who'd clamored for his attention immediately after he'd finished his sentence.

"_Of course."_ the President nodded and flashed a winning smile. "_I know I've been criticized for keeping silent in the past week_," he started, his tone unfaltering in front of the ones who had been doing the criticizing, "_but I, and my government have not been idle, we have been listening to people's concerns. I hope, as soon as possible, to put laws in place that make it clear exactly what rules any of the Kents who wish to follow in their father's footsteps will have to follow and what protocols they will be required to work within."_

"_So in effect, you're creating a new- what, branch of the emergency services specifically to cater to__ the Kent family?"_

The President shrugged. "_Like I said before, that pretty much already existed with Superman. There are laws pertaining specifically to him and what he can and can't do and how to handle the legal side of criminals he apprehends. We're just going to clarify them and update a few for the public's peace of mind._

"_One thing we've heard a lot of is that people still trust Superman not to harm anyone but are concerned that there aren't proper laws to control these children though, really they are American citizens and therefore subject to the same laws as everyone else. Now, personally, they don't seem the type to me to just go and use their abilities to destroy or hurt anyone but for clarity and peace of mind we will be putting new laws in place regarding this."_

"_And how will you be enforcing these laws?_" A journalist Jason didn't recognize asked. "_How do you arrest or imprison someone who can bend and tear thick metal bars like paper?"_

The President nodded as if this was an expected response. "_That has been discussed_," he told the crowd. "_And I understand your concerns. After almost thirty years we know and trust Superman and in time I believe his children will all prove themselves just as trustworthy as their father but when Superman first appeared we were just as wary of him as some people are about his children today. We'd just met him and certain procedures and plans were created should he have proved untrustworthy. Thankfully they've never been implemented but they are still there just in case. For security's sake I can't give details of course but holding detaining them won't be a concern for us_."

"Really?" Ella asked, drawing Jason's attention back to the living room. Her face was a mixture of surprise and concern at this news.

"I'll explain later," Jason told her quickly, before returning his attention to the screen.

"_You think they'll agree to that?"_ Same journalist again.

"_I think they'll accept it_," the President replied, "_They'll have to. It's really no different at all to the way you would have to accept that if you committed a crime you'd be arrested and detained."_

"Oh, well, fair enough," Ella muttered, her siblings nodding in agreement. "I still-"

"Later," Jason repeated, not wanting to miss anything.

"_Of course, this goes both ways,"_ the man on screen continued, _"__these new laws and regulations will protect the Kents too and anyone else in the future we might come across who falls under the same criteria. They may not be fully human but they are still people and as I speak we are amending several laws to let them continue to have the full rights of American citizens__."_

Jason couldn't deny he was pleased to hear that, he hadn't told any of his siblings, even Lucy whom he was sure knew as well, but there had been more than one person on the internet claiming they shouldn't even be considered people because they were only part-human. He reminded himself to tell Dean to keep Ella away from the computer for a while too, though unless it was on her Facebook page he doubted she would see it.

"_Will the information that Superman__'__s legal name is really Clark Kent, or any other newly learned information about him, impact on the rulings and sentences of any criminals he's help apprehend?__"_A reporter with a Swedish flag pinned to his lapel was asking when Jason turned back into the TV.

The President gave a slight laugh and shook his head. "_Simply put: No, definitely not_," he said. "_We were already well aware Superman wasn't human and we were aware the name 'Superman' was a pseudonym, no one's ever denied that. None of the criminals he'd put behind bars were released when he told us his birth name was Kal-El and none will be released now we find out his adoptive name is Clark Kent."_

Jason was a bit surprised the President knew his father's Kryptonian name, it was public knowledge and easily found on his Wikipedia page but not really common knowledge, but when he started to say so he was shushed by Nina, Sophie, Tristan and Evelyn so simply shrugged and kept watching. Then again the President had probably been briefed or something anyway.

"_There have been laws and procedures in place for decades to ensure criminals apprehended by Superman can't escape out loopholes and as him testifying under a sobriquet is already established not to invalidate any legal ruling I see no reason why knowledge he is married and has children should either. He was never asked about that on the stand so we can still trust that he never lied under oath while testifying against anyone."_

Sophie started to say something then but Jason didn't hear anything more than, "Well-" before he she was shushed too.

"Everyone just shut up 'till it's over, okay?" Lucy sighed in exasperation, speaking quickly before anyone could tell her to be quiet.

"I think it is," Dani said, sounding slightly surprised.

"He wasn't there long," Nina commented, as it became clear the President was indeed done taking questions.

"He'll have more to say soon," Sophie said with certainty, "probably through his PR people but I bet he came to support Dad personally so any other county knows Superman may help everyone but he's still American."

"_Thank you for your time ladies and gentlemen_," the man in question was saying on screen in his well-practiced modest all-American voice, ignoring the hands and yelled questions. "_Now, without further ado, I'll leave you to the man you came here to talk to_."

And just like that, it was Clark's turn.

* * *

**A/N:** Next up: Clark vs. his fellow journalists. If you want any particular question covered, leave it in a review and I'll consider putting it in the chapter (I say consider because I might not be able to work it in though I will try).

Reviews are love!


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